Purgatory
by ViolaHarmony
Summary: When Daisy encounters a frightened and confused ghost in an abandoned mansion, she resolves to help the troubled spirit find peace. Step 1: Convince him that he's dead. Step 2: Help him come to terms with his death. Step 3: Encourage him to cross over. Step 4: Try not to fall for him in the process. A/U Rated T for dark themes such as death, murder, blood, talk of suicide, etc.
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: Welcome, internet denizen! Thank you for clicking on my story. This is my first published fanfic in almost four years, and my first ever Mario fanfic, soooo...Yeah. We'll see how it goes. I've been working on this story for a little while. I don't have nearly as much time to write as I would like, but I've been trying to work on it a least a little bit each day. Some days I think, "Hey, this story is shaping up pretty nicely!" Other days I think, "This entire story is CRAP! Everyone's going to HATE it!" So, I thought I'd upload the first chapter as a preview of sorts, to see what people think. Please review and let me know if you think I should continue this._

 _This story is inspired by a certain infamous Luigi's Mansion fan theory._ _(You know the one ;) )_ _Now, I personally don't take this theory too seriously, but it did inspire this little AU of mine. Some inspiration also came from the story_ Mirror _by 123Rainstar123, over in the Dragon Ball Z archive. It's a great story! You should definitely check it out! Especially if you like DBZ and/or ghost stories and/or Vegeta x Bulma._

 _The title may or may not change. I haven't decided if I like it or not._

* * *

As the turquoise sedan jostled along the bumpy dirt road, Daisy peered out the passenger's seat window. "Are we there yet?" she chirped.

Rosalina, her roommate and temporary chauffeur, chuckled lightly. "We're almost there. It's only a 15-minute ride."

Daisy sighed, "I hope this is worth my time. I have homework, you know."

"Hey," The other girl answered, "Who was it who begged me to show her the place?"

"That was before I knew it would take so long to get there."

Rosalina gave a playful smirk. "15 minutes is long? Okay, so maybe it's more like 20 minutes at this speed. I don't dare drive any faster on this road. I don't want to ruin my car."

Daisy sat up suddenly when she spied a partially crumbled wall. "Hey, finally something other than trees! Is that part of the mansion's property?"

Rosalina smiled. "Yup. Wait for it…"

As Daisy continued to watch their surroundings, a small hill emerged slightly above the treescape. Perched on top was a very large, but dilapidated building. "Woah, it's huge! Hey stop the car! I want to get out and look!"

Rosalina obliged and parked her car along the crumbling wall. The pair exited the car and walked to the black iron gate embedded into the wall, gazing up at the old mansion.

Daisy turned to Rosalina and grinned, "Spooky."

Rosalina sighed a little. "Yeah, I guess. Seeing this old place makes me more sad than scared, though. Such a beautiful building with so many stories, left to decay. Even if most of those stories are pretty macabre." Rosalina heard a scuffling noise. "Daisy?" When she turned to look at her friend she saw the younger girl hoisting herself over the wall. "Daisy!"

"What?" the freshman answered, struggling slightly as she climbed, "We come all this way just to look from a distance? I want to see what it's like up close and personal!"

"But we can't go inside! Didn't you see the 'No Trespassing' sign? We could get into trouble!"

"Oh, please," Daisy said dismissively, "No one's around to see us. And how can we really be trespassing when no one lives here? Wait in the car if you like. I'm going in!"

Rosalina sighed. "Wait for me," she said in a resigned way, knowing she couldn't stop her stubborn friend. "I can't let you go alone." With some effort, the tall blonde followed her shorter friend up and over the wall. The pair briskly made their way up the pathway to the entrance.

Daisy glanced to the left. "Whoa, it even has its own graveyard! This place is legit! It's pretty overcast. Wouldn't it be awesome if a thunderstorm started?"

"No, we'd get wet," Rosalina answered flatly. "Does it feel colder all of the sudden? Daisy, I don't like this. Maybe we should go back."

"Oh, come on!" Daisy coaxed cheerfully, "Where's your sense of adventure? I can't believe you've lived here for two whole years without actually exploring this place!" She smirked. "Unless… you're afraid of the ghosts?"

"More like I'm afraid the building could collapse on top of us at any time," Rosalina said practically.

Daisy grinned again. "It's stayed standing this long. At any rate, I'm going in! Even if you drag me back to your car, I'll just come later in my own car."

"Alright, alright. Just a quick peek."

Daisy eagerly climbed the steps and tried the door handle. She inwardly cheered when she found the door unlocked. With Rosalina close behind her, she stepped into a foyer. While some light from outside leaked into the house, the room was still quite dim. "Dang it! Why didn't I think to bring a flashlight?"

"Actually, I think I have one in the car," Rosalina said.

"Nice try," countered Daisy.

"No, really, I do." Rosalina sighed again, "If you insist on being here, I guess we'd be safer actually seeing where we're going. I'll be right back."

 _That's Rosie, all right. Always prepared._ Daisy thought as she peered around the room. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she could make out some of the environment. A grand staircase spanned the entire room, with steps on both sides leading to a second storey landing. A large, foreboding doorway stood across from her, and she could see a cracked old mirror in the corner. Above her hung a large chandelier. She glanced to her left and saw a light switch. _Huh_ , she thought to herself, _One of the previous owners must have installed electricity at one point_. She curiously flicked the switch, but she wasn't really surprised when nothing happened. It wasn't like there was anyone paying the electric bill around here.

Rosalina returned with her flashlight and shone it around the room, illuminating motes of dust. The foyer was pretty empty other than the mirror, but with the additional light they could now make out the stained and peeling wallpaper on the walls, marred in some spots with graffiti. Daisy flashed a grin. "Well, should we get started?"

"If we must," answered her friend resignedly, "But we're not staying long enough for it to get dark outside."

"Oh, so you are afraid of ghosts," Daisy teased in a light tone as she made her way to the center doorway. Locked. "Dang it," she muttered. Perhaps she'd have better luck with the doors at the top of the stairs.

Rosalina reluctantly followed her as she began climbing to the top. "Okay, the way these stairs are creaking is definitely not making me feel any better about our survival rate."

Daisy chose not to answer her as she opened the center door. "Yes! It's unlocked!" she cheered. Let's do this!"

The girls entered and found themselves in a dark parlor. "Hmmm," said Rosalina, "Obviously there's been some looting and vandalism, but I'm honestly surprised that there hasn't been more. Some of this furniture and artwork could really be worth a lot."

"The ghosts must have scared off any looters before they could get too far," Daisy grinned as she helped herself to a worn out, maroon velvet armchair. A sizable cloud of dust billowed around her as she sat, causing her to cough a little. The dust didn't seem to faze her much, however, and she smiled up eagerly at her friend, like a child expecting a treat. "Alright, Rosie," she said, "fill me in on some of those macabre stories you mentioned earlier."

Rosalina claimed the other chair in the room, which was placed close to Daisy's, sitting more carefully so she wouldn't find herself coughing in a dust cloud. "Okay. What stories have you heard so far about this place?"

"None!" answered Daisy, "I only just found out that this place exists today, and that it's supposed to be seriously haunted."

Rosalina allowed herself a smile. She had begun to enjoy herself a little, in spite of herself. Of course, she would never admit this to Daisy. "Okay, I'll tell you all I know about this place, but I warn you. It's not for the faint of heart."

"Just how I like it!" Daisy answered excitedly, "Tell me all you know, and don't hold back!"

"Alright," Rosalina began. "So, this house was built sometime in the 1890s, by a man named Thaddeus Grimmly. He inherited a huge fortune and planned to live his life comfortably in this mansion. He was cranky and reclusive; not popular at all with the locals or even his own family. He lived in this huge mansion with no one except his longtime butler and an orphaned niece named Melody. Melody was a beautiful and talented pianist who went by her stage name, Melody Pianissima. Although modestly successful as a concert pianist, she was said to possess a rather cold and temperamental personality.

"Anyway, Thaddeus Grimmly died at the age of forty-five, only five years after he first moved into the mansion. He died of a mysterious illness. Some speculate that he was in truth poisoned by his butler, who hoped he would inherit some of Grimmly's money."

"So, the butler did it?" Daisy interrupted in a bored voice.

"That's what they say," continued Rosalina. "When Grimmly died, the house went to young Melody. She was more social than her uncle. She immediately hired more servants and under her ownership, the mansion saw various parties and social events. Melody could be charming when she wanted to be, but as I said, she could also be very surly. She was full of herself and looked down her nose at those not of her class and talents.

"Melody soon discovered that she made a mistake in keeping her uncle's old butler. He was completely infatuated with her and made several inappropriate advances towards her. With her uncle gone, he felt he could get away with such behavior and win her heart. She, of course, turned him down flat. Although, I don't really blame her in this case. The guy was in his seventies or something.

"Melody soon lost her patience with him and ordered him out of the mansion. The night she fired him, he came to her room while she slept. As he carelessly watched her sleep, his candelabra brushed against her bed curtains, setting them ablaze. The butler cried out in shock and dropped the candelabra on the bed. A spark caught his own sleeve and soon he was running down the hall screaming, engulfed in flames. Of course, the servants heard all the commotion. Thankfully, they managed to put out the fire before it caused too much damage to the mansion, but it was too late to save the butler and Melody."

"So, the butler did it again," commented Daisy.

"Yes, although it was an accident this time," answered Rosalina. "After Melody died, the mansion passed to one of her cousins, a nephew of Thaddeus Grimmly. This new owner had a younger brother who was a frequent visitor. Everyone called him 'Slim' due to his lanky physique. He was fond of gambling. He played cards, dice, but his favorite game was billiards. Once, at a party in the mansion, one of his brother's guests accused him of hustling. A fight broke out, made worse by the fact that everyone had been drinking. The angry guest pulled out a revolver and shot Slim dead. After the incident, Slim's older brother shut the mansion up and left it for good, saying he couldn't bear to be in the same house where his brother was killed. As for Slim, they say he still haunts the billiard room, waiting in vain for new opponents." Rosalina paused, awaiting Daisy's reaction.

Daisy looked at her with a somewhat bored expression. "That's it?"

"What?" answered Rosalina, "I'm just telling you the stories I've heard."

"I think I give that ghost story a C. Wait. Make it a C-."

"Okay, Okay. I'm not done. There are plenty more stories about this place. So, the house stood empty for about twenty years. Eventually, it passed to Neville Portrait and his wife Lydia. Lydia was another niece of the original owner, Grimmly. They only lived in part of the house, though. Some of the rooms they rented out to boarders, so there was a variety of people living here at one point. Lydia and Neville spent a lot of money remodeling and installing modern conveniences, so they hoped to make some of that back by renting out rooms.

"The first tragedy for them struck when Lydia, who was over eight months pregnant at the time, mysteriously fell from a third story window, killing both her and her unborn child. Though officials recorded her death as an accident, some say she was actually pushed by her jealous husband after he found out she had cheated on him with one of their boarders. This theory has never been proven, however. Now, both Neville and Lydia haunt the mansion, but they tend to stay in separate rooms. Lydia in their bedroom, and Neville in his study. Sounds of a baby crying can be heard from the supposedly unused nursery, where the child would have slept had it lived. Some have even claimed to see a phantom baby in this house, crying out in pain or throwing tantrums."

"Okay, that's a little better," smiled Daisy, "but I'm still not quite impressed."

"Oh, don't worry," countered Rosalina, "I'm just getting started. The Portraits were also the parents of young twin boys, who sometimes played with a little girl named Sue Pea."

Daisy snorted. "Sue Pea?"

"Shhh. Listen," Rosalina continued, "One day, when she was playing with the boys, she decided to take a nap. But she never woke up. A gas leak had formed and flooded part of the house, killing several of the occupants including the children and Neville. After that incident, the mansion changed hands a few times before it was closed up for good.

"The last living occupant was an old man named Vincent. He first moved into the house as a boarder when the Portraits were still alive. I don't think he ever technically owned the house, but after the gas leak most of the surviving boarders left. Understandably, the house had developed quite a stigma at this point and most people tended to avoid it. Vincent was the only one who stayed, and frankly, he just added to people's reasons to stay away.

"He claimed to be an artist, though he never had any luck selling his paintings. He was said to be deep into the occult as well. He welcomed the paranormal activity, and some say he even summoned some of the ghosts here himself."

"But, like, how?" questioned Daisy, "Did he use a Ouija board or something?"

"Possibly," answered Rosalina, "No one's really sure how he did it. Some say he did it through his paintings, but that always sounded a bit far-fetched to me."

Daisy giggled, "There are ghosts stories that aren't far-fetched?"

"Well, you know what I mean," smiled Rosalina. "Far-fetched is one thing, but magic paint just makes no sense."

"So, if this Vincent guy was _the_ _last living occupant,"_ said Daisy, uttering the last four words in a mock-spooky voice. "Does that mean you've told me all you know?"

Rosalina smiled. "Well, I do have one more story for you," she said. "This last one is the tale of the Martelli brothers.

"Vincent died sometime in the 1950's, and the house stood empty and abandoned for twenty years or so. It was at this time the Martelli brothers' fate became intertwined with this mansion.

"The older brother was named Mario. He was outgoing, friendly, and popular with everyone he knew. His younger twin brother was named Louis." Rosalina hesitated. "Well, at least, I think his name was Louis. The girl who told me the story couldn't remember for sure. She knew it was something that began with a 'lu' sound. Anyway, Louis, or Lou, was also well liked, but his circle of friends was much smaller. He was shy and awkward and timid. Mario had pretty much looked out for him his entire life. The brothers lived in Brooklyn and ran a plumbing business together."

"Because of course we know," interrupted Daisy in her spooky voice, "The plumber is always the first to die in these stories." She giggled. "Seriously, plumbers? This dramatic ghost story is about a couple of middle-aged guys who unclogged toilets for a living?"

Rosalina smiled and rolled her eyes playfully. "Plumbers are people too, you know. And I never said they were middle-aged. They were… Actually, I never really thought about how old they were."

"All the plumbers I've known have been middle aged," Daisy said with authority, "I hope these guys at least had the sense to wear belts."

"Okay, okay," answered Rosalina with a slight laugh, "If it distracts you that much, pretend they were something else. Like doctors or carpenters or something. Their occupation isn't even important to the story. So, the story begins when Lou received a letter saying he'd been anonymously selected as the winner of an historic mansion."

"Because that's not suspicious at all," snarked Daisy.

"Well, Mario actually thought it was kind of suspicious, but he and his brother agreed that there would be no harm in checking it out, so they made the trip up to the mansion. Mario got there first because Lou was delayed by a plumbing job."

Daisy snickered.

Rosalina rolled her eyes again, "I mean, he was delayed at the hospital they worked at because of course they were glamourous sexy doctors. And stop laughing. You're ruining the mood.

"When Lou arrived here, Mario was nowhere to be found. The frightened brother began searching the dark mansion, desperately crying for his brother, and was soon plagued by the many ghosts who reside here. What happened next is unclear. The only thing people agree on is that Lou hanged himself at some point. Some say the ghosts slowly drove him insane until he hanged himself in desperation. Some say he found Mario's mangled body and committed suicide in despair. Remember, Mario had protected and helped him his entire life, so the poor guy was lost without him. The third theory is that he found Mario alive and the brothers got into an argument. Lou, fueled by a secret jealously he harbored towards Mario, became angry and killed his brother. When he realized what he had done, he hung himself out of guilt. I don't really like that last theory though. I don't think it makes much sense. Anyway, all we really know is that the police eventually found their decomposing bodies in this mansion, and Lou's body was hanging from the ceiling.

"They say to this day, the sorrowful spirit of the younger Martelli brother wanders the rooms of this decaying mansion, still searching in vain for his lost brother."

Daisy smiled and lifted her hands to applaud when she was interrupted by a shrill, otherworldly cackle. "Woah, what was that?" she asked in a whisper.

Rosalina opened her mouth to reply, but before she could answer the duo heard a deep voice saying, "Get out…Get out!"

Rosalina stood up. "I think that's our cue to leave."

Daisy rolled her eyes. "C'mon Rosie, obviously some punk is in here and trying to scare us."

"Well, of course, but I don't feel like dealing with some punk right now, especially when we have no idea who he is."

Daisy stood up and made her way towards the door opposite the one they came in.

"Daisy, stop!" Rosalina cried out, "Where do you think you're going? And don't leave me without the flashlight!"

Daisy turned to Rosalina with a determined expression, "I'm going to give him a piece of my mind, of course!"

"Daisy…" Rosalina moaned, but the auburn-haired girl was already gone, the door shutting itself behind her with a firm click.

* * *

Daisy entered a gloomy anteroom and looked around. "Alright, jerk, we know you're here somewhere. Why don't you show yourself? We're not afraid of you!"

A deep chuckle seemed to emanate from all around her. "Brave girl. Do you know what happened to the last person who tried to stand up to me? Oh, that's right. He died!"

Daisy felt something whiz past her right ear. She stared in shock at the knife embedded in the wall before her.

"I missed on purpose, you know," the deep voice said behind her.

For the first time since entering the property, Daisy felt a prickle of fear run down her spine; but she would rather die than let whoever owned the deep voice know it. She slowly turned around and forced her voice to be steady. "Stop it! This isn't funny."

An apparition materialized before her. Daisy froze as her jaw dropped. He appeared to be a somewhat pudgy older man, with glowing yellow eyes, blue skin, a brown coat, and an angry scowl. "Who's laughing? You're a trespasser here! Do you know what happens to living souls stupid enough to enter here? Unless you want to join us in death, you'll get out of my house immediately!"

Daisy dropped the flashlight and slowly backed away in shock when she felt a frigid wind blow past her. Or at least, what felt like a frigid wind. Whatever blew past her materialized into another apparition next to the first. This one was pure white and round, with glowing blood-red eyes. It cackled gleefully. "Going soft, eh, Grimmly? You're really encouraging her to escape? I thought we might have a little fun with her. Besides, we could use another pretty girl around here besides that niece of yours!"

Grimmly gazed at the second ghost with a grouchy expression. "Oh, shut up! This house belonged to me first. Why do I have to put up with so many interlopers?"

The second ghost's smile morphed into a glare. "Remember who you are talking to, Grimmly. You should be honored to share your haunt with me. As for the others, well, getting rid of ghosts isn't so easy once they're tied to a haunt. You'll just have to grin and bear it, eh?"

Grimmly seemed unfazed by the ghost's glare and not likely to grin anytime soon. "I'm going back to my room. I only hope you and the rest leave me alone."

The second ghost pouted playfully. "Awww… I thought you might join me and the girl for some fun!"

"What girl?" Grimmly deadpanned, "I don't see any girl."

The round ghost spun around in surprise. "What! Where is she?"

"I don't see why you're so surprised," answered Grimmly in a bored voice, "You've been gabbing so much she seems to have recovered her senses and ran away. Now if you'll excuse me." Grimmly faded into nothing as the round ghost cursed loudly and sped out of the room.

* * *

Daisy's heart was beating so fast, she feared it would leap out of her chest. This couldn't be real. Ghosts didn't exist. This had to be an elaborate prank. Those two ghosts were just projections, right? She shuddered. The knife was certainly real enough. She ran through a room containing several wardrobes and racks and found herself on a small balcony. She gasped as her heart sank. A dead end. Her face drained of all color when she heard that high pitched cackle again. The round ghost appeared in front of her.

"Going so soon?" he cooed, "I thought we might have a little fun before I kill you. Oh, come on. It's not such a bad afterlife in here."

"S-stay back!" Daisy pointlessly stretched her arms out, as if she could push him away. She inwardly cursed herself for stuttering, and for the tears she could feel dribbling down her cheeks. What had she gotten herself into? She didn't want to die. And where was Rosalina? Had she been found too?

As the ghost leered and floated towards her, Daisy suddenly felt an icy hand grasp her arm and pull her back into the wardrobe room. Daisy gasped in surprise and spun around to see the deathly pale, almost bluish face of a young man, who gazed at her with luminous blue eyes. "You hafta get outta of here! It's dangerous! There are ghosts everywhere!" he squeaked in a panicked voice.

The round ghost floated through the doorway and towards them with an angry scowl. "YOU!" he growled at the young man, "You dare to interfere? You're really a pain in the backside, you know that?" The young man pulled out a flashlight and shone it directly into the apparition's eyes. The round ghost let out a frustrated yell and covered its eyes with its stubby arms. The young man pulled out the hose of the solid, red vacuum cleaner strapped to his back and proceeded to suck the ghost into the bag of the vacuum. Daisy's eyes widened at the absurdity of it all.

"What the…? You…vacuumed it? And…it actually worked? But…" The man shrugged the vacuum off his shoulders and pulled Daisy away amid her stuttering.

"It won't hold him for long! He's too powerful! You gotta get outta here!"

The duo ran back to the parlor amid a cacophony of otherworldly sounds. Daisy heard creaking, children crying, music and even a little laughter. The man before her suddenly came to a halt. He faced her with frightened eyes, his entire form shuddering uncontrollably. Daisy's eyes were suddenly drawn to his neck, which was marred all the way around by horrible bruises and bright red scratches. He pointed to the door in front of them. "This leads to the foyer. I-I c-can't come with you. I have to find m-my b-brother! I have to save him! Who knows w-what they've done to him!" He looked like he was on the verge of a breakdown, but he closed his eyes and looked like he was trying to force himself to be calm. "H-here," he continued, "You d-dropped this." He handed her the flashlight and ran out of the room. Daisy gazed stunned at the retreating form.

Thankfully, another otherworldly cackle jolted her out of her trance. She swallowed heavily and spun around towards the door, eager not to waste the opportunity the terrified man had given her. She twisted the doorknob with a shaky hand and quickly moved back into the foyer. A figure dashed towards Daisy and collided into her. Daisy whimpered, afraid another specter had found her, but soon realized that this person was warm and kindly wrapping their arms around her.

The figure broke the hug and stepped back, revealing herself to be Rosalina. "Oh, my gosh! Daisy! Are you okay? I tried to follow you, but the door wouldn't open no matter how I tried. I heard voices and yelling, but I didn't know how to get to you, and I couldn't see so I came back out here. I-I tried a few other doors, but they were either locked or led to nowhere. I was so scared!" Rosalina paused to take a breath and examine Daisy. "Daisy?" she continued in a gentle voice, "Are you alright? You're crying."

Daisy wiped her eyes quickly. "I-I'm fine."

"No, you're not. You're shaking, and you never cry. You look like you've seen a ghost!"

Daisy gave a humorless, slightly hysterical chuckle at that comment.

Rosalina rubbed Daisy's back and continued, "Breathe, Daisy. I don't want you going into shock. What did you see back there?"

"Never mind that! We have to get out of here. NOW!" Daisy answered shakily.

"Okay, let's go," Rosalina nodded and led her shaking friend out the door.

* * *

Daisy stared ahead of her silently for the first ten minutes of their car ride home, Rosalina giving her worried sideways glances from time to time from the driver's seat. Suddenly, Daisy swallowed and spoke in a quiet voice. "Rosalina, I saw him."

"Saw who? That jerk who was trying to scare us?"

"No, no. Well, sorta, but…No. I saw that plumber guy."

Rosalina's eyes widened as she gripped the steering wheel. "The plumber guy from the story?" she asked slowly and disbelievingly.

"Yes!" confirmed Daisy in a louder voice, "H-he was slightly transparent, a-and had pale bluish skin…Well, I guess he doesn't really have skin anymore, but you know what I mean. He had blue eyes, and reddish brown hair, and a mustache. And an accent. Yes! He spoke with a bit of an Italian accent, and he looked so, so scared…"

"Daisy, stop!" Rosalina interrupted, "You're starting to scare me!"

"I'm telling the truth, Rosie, I know what I saw!" Daisy said frantically.

"Daisy…" Rosalina began in a kind, but slightly exasperated voice, "There are no ghosts, it's just a story. Someone, or probably a group of someones, was just trying to scare us."

"I know what I saw!" Daisy repeated, "A-and he wasn't the only one. There were two others. A grumpy middle-aged man, and a horrible round ghost with sharp teeth!"

Rosalina glanced at Daisy incredulously. Whoever those punks were, they sure did an elaborate job. "Daisy, please. With today's technology…"

"I know what I saw," Daisy interrupted stubbornly, glaring down at her lap.

Rosalina sighed. "Never mind. Let's just go home and forget this whole thing ever happened."

The girls drove in silence the rest of the way back to their shared apartment.

* * *

 _A/N Who is this mustachioed apparition? And what the heck is his real name?! Don't worry, Daisy will discover his proper name in the next chapter. ;) That is, if readers think that I should continue... Any advice is greatly appreciated! Thanks!_


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: Special thanks to Pikminfan, Derick Lindsey, Steel Fairy, NormanWhitesmith, Anonymous Guest, Colorful and Free, SagaPony612, and somesortofdeliciousbiscu1t for reviewing! Your encouraging words helped motivate me to keep writing this story._

 _Also thanks to anyone who read, followed, and/or favorited. :)_

 _Disclaimer (I forgot to do this in chapter 1, so I guess I'd better put this here): I do not own the Mario franchise or any of its characters. I am not affiliated with Nintendo in any way, and no one is paying me to write this. I'm just a crazy fan writing this story for fun. :)_

* * *

Daisy sighed and rested her head in her hands, gazing at the computer screen. She had been unable to find out much more than she already knew about the mansion. All she could find online were pictures and retellings of the stories Rosalina had recounted the previous evening. The best she'd been able to find was a blog dedicated to various haunted locales of upstate New York. The blog featured many entries and pages focused on what the site called the "Grimmly House." Still, she couldn't be entirely sure the blog was reliable or had all its facts straight. It was mostly geared towards fans of the supernatural and local folklore. The blog gave each ghost its own nickname. There was "Uncle Grimmly: Hermit of the Darkness," "Slim Bankshot: The Lonely Pool Shark," and so on.

The stories were close to Rosalina's versions, but there were a few differences. The blog attested that the younger Martelli brother was named Luca and gave him the title of "Spectral Seeker." Instead of a plumbing business, (or medical careers), it stated that the brothers worked together at a bottling plant. It also seemed to favor the theory that Luca, or whatever his name was, had killed his brother before hanging himself, but Daisy shared Rosalina's skepticism of that version of the tale, especially after meeting him herself. The guy obviously cared a great deal about his brother. A little sibling rivalry, even jealousy, could not drive such a clearly devoted brother to fratricide. But, then again, what did she know? People could surprise you. Maybe… Nah, there was no way Louis, eh, Luca would harm his brother. Whoever wrote this blog clearly favored the darkest, most sensational ghost stories. Besides, if Lou had killed his brother, why would he still be looking for him? He would know what had happened to him.

A little more digging led her to an old local newspaper article about the Martelli's deaths, but again, she learned nothing new. Though, she had to smile a little when the article confirmed that the brothers were indeed plumbers. This article didn't even mention the younger brother by name.

Daisy closed her eyes and leaned back in her chair. Why was she even doing this? Was looking up information about the house and its frightened resident really going to change anything? Was there really anything she could do for him? How could she even consider coming within a hundred feet of the place after everything she went through last night? Should she even feel obligated to help the poor guy? She thought of the haunted blue eyes she encountered the evening before and then again in her dreams that night. She smirked a little to herself. Was it weird to call a ghost's eyes 'haunted'? She then smiled at the article on the computer screen, as if the ghost could see her from within the monitor. "Don't worry, pal," she said softly to herself, "You saved my life. The least I can do is help you find peace in your afterlife."

Feeling that she could get no further with online research, Daisy logged off the library computer and pushed her chair in. She walked through the computer area amid the sound of typing, chatting, and music muted through headphones. She glanced at her fellow students. Some were checking Facebook, others were in chat rooms, and a couple were viewing anime, their eyes glued to the screen. There were even a few students doing homework.

She turned her eyes back to the area in front of her only to see a stack of books walking towards her. Daisy gasped and jumped to the side just in time to avoid a head-on collision. She glanced to her side and her eyes met those of a short girl struggling under the awkward weight of her load. Judging by her nametag, the girl must have been a student employee of the university library, though she looked a little young for her age. Her strawberry blonde hair was woven into two braided pigtails. She wore a pink polka dotted button up blouse with a matching headband and a simple white skirt that reached to her calves. She was obviously struggling and trying with all her might to keep the stack of books from teetering over.

"Um, hey, do you need some help there?" Daisy asked with amused concern.

"Oh. Um, only if you don't mind," the girl answered quietly in a slightly embarrassed voice.

Daisy smiled and took the top half of the stack. "Don't I know you from somewhere? US history?"

The girl's eyes brightened with recognition. "Oh yeah! I recognize you, too. Tuesdays and Thursdays at 11:00 with Professor Toadbert, right?"

"Yup! I'm Daisy."

"My name's Odette. Thanks for your help. I feel kinda stupid, actually. I should've just brought a cart."

"No prob. So, where are we going with these?"

"Psychology section, straight ahead." The girls continued side by side with their loads. "Just put your stack on the table there, and I'll shelve them. Thanks again for your help," Odette said cheerily.

Daisy turned to walk away before hesitating. "Hey, Odette? This may be a bit of a long shot, but I wonder if you could help me with something?"

Odette turned her focus from her books to her classmate. "Sure thing! What do you need?"

"Well… Does the library have any information on that old mansion a few miles from town?"

Odette blinked. "You mean the old Grimmly place?"

"Yeah," confirmed Daisy, a little relieved that the other girl knew what she was talking about. "Specifically, the Martelli brothers?"

Odette thought for a moment. "Hmmm… Actually, we may have some books in the local history section. Here, I'll show you." After leading Daisy to the correct section, Odette scanned the shelves until she spotted what she was looking for. "Aha!" she said with triumph, "I'm pretty sure this book has a short section on the mansion. It's just a brief history of the town and the surrounding area."

"Hey, thanks!" said Daisy gratefully.

Odette smiled. "So, why so interested in the place?"

Daisy flushed slightly. "Oh, you know. Just morbid curiosity. I mean, I just came here a few weeks ago to start college, and I've never lived close to a haunted house before."

Odette nodded. "Don't worry, you're not the first. I've lived here my whole life, so I grew up hearing stories about the place, but there's been a few other kids who came to the library wanting to know more. Granted, they were history nerds, but still. If you like, I could go check special collections. I think we may have a few old newspaper articles in there as well."

"I'd like that, thanks." Daisy smiled as Odette walked away. _Great. She probably thinks I'm a history geek or some weirdo cult enthusiast,_ Daisy thought to herself, _But I guess it's better than looking crazy. I couldn't just tell her I'm trying to learn more about a ghost I met._ Daisy sat down and looked over the book Odette had found for her. To Daisy's satisfaction, the book seemed scholarly and well-researched, giving her confidence in its reliability. She found the section on the mansion, which recounted a brief history of the building and those who lived and died there. It read that the Martelli brothers were indeed plumbers from Brooklyn named Mario and…Luigi. Daisy smiled at her new-found knowledge of the ghost's actual name. Well, at least she hoped so. This book did seem more trustworthy than her other sources. It also stated the town had been rocked by the news of the brothers' gruesome deaths, especially by the fact that Luigi had killed himself. Mario's death couldn't have been pleasant either. His body showed that he had suffered a severe blow to the head as well as a slit throat. Their bodies were partially decomposed and were both found on the third floor.

Daisy shuddered and closed the book, turning to see Odette walking towards her. "Hey, I found those articles for you. Do you want me to let you into the special collections room?"

* * *

Daisy settled into a comfy armchair amid the smell of antique books in the special collections room and began to peruse the various newspaper articles found for her by the helpful Odette. The library's collection proved more extensive than she expected. The first article dated all the way back to 1898 and told the story of the shocking deaths of Melody Pianissima and her Uncle's butler. Other various articles included stories of the murdered pool shark, and even an advertisement for rooms to rent from the Portrait era. While these fragile relics piqued her interest, she decided to make the most of her time by skipping ahead to the more recent history of the Martelli brothers. After finding the articles she needed, she decided to arrange them by date, and then began to read.

 _September 4, 1977_

 _Human Remains Discovered in Abandoned Mansion_

 _On Friday Night, three local high school students discovered the bodies of two men in what has become known as the "Grimmly House." Based on the level of decomposition, city coroner and local physician Dr. Michael Toadley estimates the men met their demise about a week ago_. _The deceased's wallets and driver's licenses were also discovered, identifying the two men as Mario Martelli and Luigi Martelli of Brooklyn, New York._

 _The boys who discovered the bodies claim they snuck into the mansion in answer to a dare from a classmate._

 _Both bodies were discovered on the third floor of the abandoned residence. The first was hanging from the ceiling by its neck, and the other was found on the floor in a nearby room with a slit throat. Two vehicles were parked outside of the mansion; a red sedan and a white pickup truck with the words "Martelli Bros Plumbing" printed on its sides, further confirming the victims' identities. Police investigators discovered a letter on the truck's passenger seat, claiming that Luigi Martelli won the mansion in a drawing. Local authorities have contacted the Brooklyn Police and continue their investigation into the events that led to the victims' deaths._

 _The Grimmly House was erected in 1892 by Thaddeus Grimmly and was last occupied in 1957. The large residence is well-known locally for its sinister history and has a reputation for paranormal activity to this day._

 _September 6, 1977_

 _Bodies from Mysterious Grimmly House Case Claimed by Brooklyn Police_

 _The bodies of Mario and Luigi Martelli, which were discovered at the abandoned Grimmly House last week, have been claimed by Brooklyn police. An investigation seeking the brothers' whereabouts was launched by Brooklyn police when friends of the Martellis' reported them missing, but progress was limited until Nightshade Valley authorities contacted and informed the Brooklyn investigators of the bodies' discovery._

 _The bodies have been relocated back to Brooklyn, where funeral services are scheduled for later this week._

 _Nightshade Valley and Brooklyn police continue to work jointly on the case, but so far have been unable to discover those responsible for the brothers' deaths. While Luigi Martelli's death is speculated to be suicide by hanging, police suspect that Mario Martelli was a homicide victim._

Daisy stopped reading and thought for a moment. Why would Luigi commit suicide? And wouldn't he remember his own death if he had planned it? Unless it wasn't exactly planned. She had to consider the poor plumber's mental state. Had Mario been murdered, and the sight caused Luigi to lose his mind? Had he been half crazy when he hung himself? Or perhaps both brothers had been murdered? Maybe Luigi was strangled and then his body hung up to look like suicide. Maybe the ordeal was so traumatic his ghost blocked the whole thing from his memory, and simply continued on in his task to find his brother? She sighed again. No matter what had ultimately happened, this was pretty depressing stuff. And how would she find a way to help this ghost and break the news to him about his own death and the death of his brother? If only she were a psychology major. She supposed she could research the library's psychology section, but there wasn't enough time to earn a psychology degree. Luigi was suffering greatly now. Maybe straightforward was the best approach.

Daisy looked down to her lap and gazed at the most recent article. It surprised her that the article was only about seventeen years old.

 _September 14, 2001_

 _Paranormal Researcher Comes to Nightshade Valley, NY_

 _New Hampshire based paranormal researcher "Professor" Elvin Gadd has made the journey to Nightshade Valley with the intention of discovering the secrets of the famous Grimmly House. The Professor claims he invented a machine capable of capturing spirits. Whether he is truly on to something or has simply been watching too many 1980s cult classics remains to be seen._

Daisy's eyes widened. "Oh, I think he was on to something," she muttered to the newspaper article, "But trust me. I'd be just as skeptical as you if I hadn't seen it for myself." _Professor Elvin Gadd…_ she thought, _If he was here in 2001, that was quite a while after Luigi became a ghost. Did he actually meet Luigi as a ghost? Or did he drop his vacuum thingy and Luigi found it later?_ As she wondered if there was any way she could look the guy up, she happened to notice the clock. She quickly jumped up and went to check out the book on local history, hurrying so she wouldn't be late for her next class.

* * *

Daisy's yellow Volkswagen beetle rattled along the same dirt road Rosalina's car took them on the previous evening. Luckily, Rosalina bought Daisy's story about going back to the library for some extra studying. She wasn't sure how Rosalina would take the news that Daisy was driving back to the mansion by herself to confront the ghost of a hanged plumber. When she reached the mansion, she parked her car and took a deep breath, willing herself to remain calm. She knew it was probably crazy to return to the site of her attempted murder, but it was too late to turn back now. Luigi needed her. She exited the car and made the journey once again over the wall and up the walkway leading to the door. The closer she got, the more she trembled, and she mentally scolded herself to keep it together. It was sunny today, and still light outside; however, the mansion still managed to be gloomy somehow. Perhaps it was the graveyard. She took another deep breath and walked through the door.

Unsurprisingly, the foyer was just as she and Rosalina had left it the night before. Sunlight filtered through the grimy windows, but Daisy switched her flashlight on anyway to ensure she could see everything around her. And hopefully, to stun any ghosts that threatened her, just like Luigi had done.

She crept into the mansion, realizing that she had absolutely no idea what she was supposed to do. "Um…" she began, "Mr. Martelli? Mr. Martelli, are you there?" She grimaced at how weak and scared her voice sounded. She cleared her throat and took another deep breath to calm herself before calling him again. She received no answer. The foyer remained silent, almost as though the mansion was mocking her. Daisy let out a sigh of frustration and walked deeper into the foyer. She shakily climbed the stairs and hesitated at the center door. Luigi could've been anywhere, and she didn't really want to revisit the place where she nearly met the sharp end of a knife. Instead, she made her way to the other door on the landing; the one on the far left.

The door creaked open to reveal a thankfully empty hallway. _At least, it looks empty,_ she thought to herself. For all she knew, the area was full of spirits who didn't want to be seen. She decided to try the next door on her right. She opened this door to discover a small library. Or perhaps it was a study. As she shone her flashlight around the room she noticed a dark chandelier, but eerily enough, the room was already dimly lit when she entered, the flickering light coming from the fire place. She noticed some movement out of the corner of her eye and glanced over to see a lean man in an indigo bathrobe. Before she could duck out of the room, his pair of yellow-green eyes locked with hers. The two stared at each other for a few beats, Daisy's expression shocked, and the transparent man's irritated. Daisy winced. "Uhhh… Pardon me!" she gasped and quickly fled, shutting the door behind her. To her relief, the ghost didn't follow.

 _Welp, that was kinda…awkward. And terrifying._ she thought to herself as she continued down the hall. She froze when she heard the eerie sound of a baby wailing. _Crap, it's that baby!_ She thought. "Mr. Martelli," she called again, her voice barley above a whisper, "Please show yourself!" she begged. Before she could inch much further down the hallway, a golden colored ghost appeared with a low cackle. Daisy jumped and gasped, backing her way towards the door into the foyer. The ghost continued towards her with its arms outstretched. Remembering her flashlight, Daisy shone it directly into the ghost's eyes, effectively stunning it. She backed through the door and slammed it, then coughed at the clouds of dust her action caused. She ran back down the stair landing and into the parlor she and Rosalina had sat in the night before, almost colliding with a spectral man in overalls. The two locked eyes. "You!" they gasped in unison.

Daisy opened her mouth to speak, but the man beat her to it. "You're back?" His voice was unsteady, but Daisy detected a hint of annoyance along with his surprise and fear. "I told you to get outta here! This is no place for a kid!" Daisy's eyes flashed with defiance, but before she could set him straight, his eyes widened and stared at something behind her. "Get outta the way!" he cried as he grabbed her flashlight and stunned the gold ghost a second time. He then turned his vacuum on and sucked the creature up with ease. He then turned to Daisy. "Now. Out!" he said firmly as he pointed to the door back to the foyer. He then briskly moved past her to the opposite door.

Daisy quickly spun around. "Wait! Luigi!" she called to his retreating back. He froze. "That's your name, isn't it?" She asked softly, "Luigi Martelli?"

He slowly turned and gazed at her apprehensively. "H-how do you know that?"

"I…" How on earth was she going to explain this to him? "I know a lot about you. You're from Brooklyn. Um, you're a plumber. And…in 1977 you received a letter saying you won this mansion. But your brother got lost in here and now you're looking for him. But you don't need to look for him anymore."

He stared at her in amazement. "You know what happened to Mario?" he asked incredulously.

She swallowed. "Y-yes. But you're not going to like it."

"Tell me!" he demanded desperately, "Where is my brother?"

Daisy felt like crying. There was just no easy way to say this. "He died!" she blurted, "A-and so did you! So, like, go towards the light or whatever!"

He blinked at her in shock for a moment. "W-what are you saying? T-that doesn't make any sense! _Impossibile_!" he cried, although his hand instinctively reached up to touch his damaged neck.

"N-no!" she answered, "I'm telling the truth! I'm just trying to help you! They found your body! It was hanging from the ceiling on the third floor…"

"Stop!" he cried as he covered his ears, ghostly tears trickling down his cheeks. "Y-you're lying! Y-you must be one of them! Or you're working for them! You're trying to trick me!"

"Who's 'them'?" Daisy shot back.

"The ghosts!" he sobbed and collapsed to his knees. "So many ghosts! I-I can't even fight them properly anymore. My flashlight's batteries died! And the stronger ghosts always manage to escape after a while…"

Daisy took a step towards him. "H-hey. Calm down..."

"No! Stay away from me!" he cried.

Daisy began to feel frustrated. "Look! I'll prove I'm telling the truth!" She walked straight through the kneeling ghost and shuddered, feeling like she just waded through a pool of waist-deep ice water.

The ghost gasped and froze in shock, but quickly seemed to collect himself as he turned to her. "T-that only proves that you're a ghost!" He shot back stubbornly.

Daisy huffed in frustration. "Well, if I'm a ghost, then you should be able to suck me up with that vacuum cleaner thingy!"

He blinked at her. "Well," she challenged, "Go ahead and try it!" He hesitantly turned his vacuum towards her and switched it on. It was much stronger that she expected. It grabbed ahold of her knitted burnt orange sweater and pulled her forward, but still failed to suck her up.

Luigi's mouth dropped opened. "I... No! I can't be… I can't be d-!" He gazed disbelievingly at his pale hands, then reached up to touch his neck again. "Mario!" He gasped, "I have to find Mario!"

"I told you," Daisy cried desperately, "Mario's dead, too!" She tried for a softer tone, "T-they found his body not too far from yours... They think he was murdered."

Luigi's face crumpled as he sobbed even harder.

"Luigi..." Daisy began gently.

"No!" he shouted and screwed his eyes shut. "Leave me alone!" he screamed and ran away from her, out of the room.

"Luigi, please!" Daisy begged, her eyes wet, but the troubled spirit was already out of sight.

* * *

 _A/N: Thanks for reading, and please review! All comments, suggestions, and critiques are very appreciated!_


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed! It really means a lot! :) This story has gained more readers than I expected. I'm delighted, but also a little nervous. I just hope I can live up to your expectations!_

 _Chapter Notes: My knowledge of New York geography is very basic, so I apologize for any vagueness and inaccuracies. Also, I'm sure it's pretty obvious, but Nightshade Valley is a fictional college town with a fictional university located in Upstate New York. I wasn't sure what to name the town, so I ended up calling it "Nightshade Valley" in homage to Evershade Valley._

 _This chapter gave me a little trouble. I'm still not completely happy with it, but I think it turned out okay... Hopefully. ^^' I just hope it's not too boring._

* * *

"I'm sorry to leave you all by yourself, but it's just for the weekend," Rosalina said apologetically.

Daisy fought the urge to roll her eyes. "Rosie, I'll be fine. I'm not a kid, and you're my roommate, not my mom."

"I know," Rosalina conceded, "It's just…you've been acting... _off_ ever since we left that mansion. Are you sure you're alright?"

Daisy sighed and leaned against the doorframe. "You still don't believe me, do you?"

"I believe," Rosalina began carefully, "That _you_ believe in what you saw."

"Thanks," Daisy muttered, "That makes me feel much better."

"Look," said Rosalina, "Why don't you come with me? I'm sure my dad wouldn't mind."

"No, no! I'm fine," answered Daisy in a kinder tone, "How are things with your dad, anyway?"

"Oh, pretty good," Rosalina replied as she finished packing a few toiletries. "It's just, with my brother now gone to college too, I promised I would take my turn to visit Dad now and then and check up on him. You know. Make sure he's taking his meds and all that."

Daisy nodded. When she first met Rosalina, the two felt a connection over their common experience of losing their mothers at a young age. But thankfully, Daisy had always enjoyed a positive relationship with her father. Rosalina hadn't been so lucky. Rosalina's father suffered a mental breakdown when he lost his wife and kept to himself, wallowing in his own misery. As a child and teenager, Rosalina grew bitter towards her father for shutting down rather than caring for and comforting his two children. Because of this, Rosalina left home as soon as she turned eighteen. After her father finally got some help, and Rosalina had grown up a little, they began to try and mend their relationship. Daisy was glad to hear that things continued to move in a positive direction.

Rosalina paused in her packing, "Hey, that's right! My brother's about your age. You know, he's a great kid. Maybe I could arrange for you to meet him sometime."

Daisy blushed slightly. "Rosie! No! I mean, I'm sure he's awesome. I just don't like being set up. And I don't think I'm ready for a relationship right now!"

Rosalina chuckled slightly at Daisy's reaction. "Hey, who said anything about a serious relationship? I just think the two of you should get to know one another. Anyway, how are things with you and your dad?"

"Oh, fine," answered Daisy as Rosalina reached for her toothpaste, "Dad and I have always gotten along pretty well. But now he keeps nagging me to get a part-time job even though there's plenty of money in my college fund. He says it will build character and give me much-needed work experience and whatnot." Daisy pouted slightly. "He's probably right, but I have enough going on with classes, homework, soccer practice and tennis practice."

Rosalina glanced over at Daisy. "Well, maybe you should just explain that to him. I'm sure he'd understand."

Daisy grimaced. "Nah, he'd just tell me to drop one of my sports. I can't do that! Hey, Rosie, are you okay?"

Rosalina's eyes had gone wide in her suddenly pale face. "Oh, no!" she gasped, "Speaking of part time jobs, I just realized I forgot to feed the cats at the animal shelter!"

Daisy burst out laughing. "Again? For someone so on top of it, it's hilarious how often you forget to feed the cats!"

Rosalina moaned. "I was so busy cleaning up dog poop, I forgot! I better run over there on my way out of town. Sorry, Daisy, I gotta run!" Rosalina grabbed her luggage and coat and rushed out of their modest, but comfortable apartment. Daisy grinned at her retreating friend.

As she watched Rosalina drive away, Daisy's face fell into a small frown. When Luigi ran away from her the night before, she wanted to run after the distraught spirit. But with the fading light and hostile ghosts lurking in the shadows, she lost her nerve and went home. She felt slightly guilty for leaving, but perhaps Luigi needed some time alone anyway. He hadn't seemed too receptive to her at the time. She only hoped she would have another chance to earn his trust. She bit her lip and wondered what to do next. Maybe it was a long shot, but she wondered if visiting Luigi's old home would give her more insight. After debating her next course of action for a brief moment, she nodded slightly to herself and went to her laptop to look up the quickest route to Brooklyn.

* * *

Daisy groaned. Four hours. It took her all of four hours just to drive to Brooklyn. Her daytrip had started positively enough. It was Saturday, the day after Rosalina left to visit her dad. Daisy's trusty laptop assured her that the trip from Nightshade Valley to Brooklyn took a total of three hours and twenty-five minutes. While a three and a half hour drive had seemed daunting, especially for someone as impatient as Daisy, she motivated herself with the knowledge that she would learn more about Luigi this way and would get to visit the city he grew up in. Besides, she had been planning to make the trip down to New York City eventually. She couldn't _not_ visit the glamourous, almost mythical New York City when she was attending college close by.

While fairly well-traveled, New York state was one place Daisy had never been to. That was one reason she had chosen Nightshade Valley for her college adventure. She was from the Western United States, so she opted for college in the Eastern United States. She grew up in Phoenix, Arizona, so she chose a relatively small college town. However, while she wanted to experience small town life, that didn't mean she would pass up the opportunity to visit one of the world's most famous and storied metropolitan areas.

Daisy enjoyed the first hour of her trip. The drive through hills, forests, and towns made for a pleasant journey. She was starting to feel tired during the second hour, and wondered why on earth the brothers would drive for three and a half hours just to check out a prize that they knew was probably a scam; however, she reminded herself that it was too late to turn back now and drove on. She grew excited towards the end of the third hour, as suburban landscapes promised the arrival of the famous city. She arrived in Manhattan during the fourth hour, only to find herself stuck in traffic, accompanied by a chorus of honking and cursing. After four hours on the road, Daisy crossed the Brooklyn Bridge. She knew she should be enjoying the fact that she was crossing a hundred and thirty-five year old historic landmark, but at that point, she was frankly too tired to care much.

Upon officially arriving in Brooklyn, Daisy found it difficult to think of much else but her stomach. She stopped at the first pizzeria she saw and wearily made her way inside. Despite the run-down atmosphere, the pizza joint smelled completely heavenly. Daisy breathed in the delicious and complementary aromas. The pizzeria buzzed with various conversations in both English and Italian. To Daisy's disappointment, the line was quite long, but she guessed that was a good sign for the pizza's quality. After ordering and waiting for what seemed like several hours, but was actually more like thirty minutes, she devoured a chicken pesto pizza and immediately felt rejuvenated.

As she left the restaurant, her phone informed her that the time was now one in the afternoon. After filling up her Volkswagen, she decided to find the Brooklyn public library. That seemed like as good a place to start as any. She did her best to read the street signs as she drove, earning more than a few honks from her fellow motorists. After thirty more minutes on the road and several unintentional detours, Daisy finally made her way to the imposing bronze gateway of the Brooklyn Central Library. The two wings of the large, gray stone building seemed to open towards her like a massive book.

She made her way into the library's bustling foyer, not sure exactly where to go next. She glanced around and spied an elderly man in a forest green dress shirt pushing a cart full of books. Upon hearing her approaching, he looked up at her with a friendly smile. "Good afternoon. Is there anything I can help you with?" He spoke with a slight Japanese accent, though his excellent English suggested that he had lived in America for a very long time.

Daisy glanced at his nametag, which read 'Y. Sato, Librarian'. "Um. Yes, please," answered Daisy, "Do you happen to keep any old newspapers in your archives? Or anything about local history?"

His eyebrows raised slightly. "We do have some old local newspapers on microfilm," he confirmed, "Do you know the specific issue you're looking for?"

Daisy hesitated. "Anything from September 1977?"

He gazed at her with a guarded expression before answering. "I believe we do have some newspapers from that period. Are you looking for a specific article?"

Daisy sighed, hoping the librarian wouldn't think her too odd. "I'm looking for any information you may have on Luigi and Mario Martelli. Obituaries, news articles… I know it's kind of a weird request…"

The old librarian looked down as his lips hardened into a thin line. Daisy took a half step back. She wondered briefly if she had said anything to offend him, but he seemed to recover his professionalism as he gave her brief smile. "I can help you find their obituaries," he said quietly as he looked away again. "Just follow me and I'll set you up with the microfilm." Without another word, he walked passed his cart and deeper into the library, Daisy falling in step behind him.

"Perhaps it's not my place to ask," he began apologetically, "but, may I ask you why you want information on Mario and Luigi?"

Daisy's eyebrows rose slightly. "You speak as though you knew them," she ventured quietly.

He closed his eyes briefly and nodded. "Oh, yes. I knew them." His lips formed a sad smile as he opened the door to the Brooklyn collection and ushered her in. "We met when we were children. I was a bit older than they were. I first met Mario at a park where he was frantically looking for his lost little brother. I think they were about five years old then. I was ten or eleven. I had only just come to America and my English was terrible. Mario was used to speaking Italian at home, so his English wasn't much better." He chuckled. "It's a miracle we ever found poor Luigi."

Daisy smiled softly. "I'm going to college in Nightshade Valley. I, uh, heard the stories of what happened to them and I guess I was curious…" she trailed off.

Mr. Sato furrowed his brows. "You must be very curious. It seems like a strange reason to come all the way down here from Nightshade Valley."

"Oh! Well," Daisy began quickly, "I was planning on visiting New York City anyway."

"All by yourself?" He questioned incredulously.

"Well, my roommate had other plans this weekend and couldn't come…"

He regarded her with some suspicion, but to her relief, he refrained from questioning her further. "Well, after meeting the brothers at the park, we became fast friends despite our age difference. As a teenager, I got a part-time summer job here at the library. I've been here ever since. As a child... Well, even as a young man, Luigi visited the library often. Sometimes Mario would come too. They would always come find me and the three of us would talk." He chuckled again. "At least, until my boss yelled at me to get back to work." Mr. Sato turned and busied himself with finding the correct microfilm.

"I'm sorry," Daisy said quietly. The librarian looked up with an inquiring expression. Daisy continued. "It must have been awful, finding out two of your friends were killed in such a way," she said somewhat awkwardly. She had never been good at broaching sensitive subjects. She hadn't expected to run into a friend of the Martellis'. And here she was, asking their close friend who clearly wasn't over it for information on the brothers' demises.

Mr. Sato grimaced and turned back to the microfilm. "It wouldn't be quite so bad if I just knew what really happened to them, and who was responsible." He scowled, "Oh, I know all the stories. But I could never accept that Luigi committed suicide. He was easily frightened, and perhaps a little too dependent on his brother. But he cared a lot about others. He was selfless and kind. A great friend. He wouldn't do that to himself. He wouldn't…" Mr. Sato stopped, but Daisy could guess what he was about to say. _He wouldn't do that to me._

Mr. Sato's sorrowful expression turned into a fierce glare. "And don't even mention the story that Luigi killed Mario. Those two were as close as brothers could be. Nearly inseparable. Yes, they sometimes argued. What siblings don't? But Luigi would never do such a thing," he said vehemently. "The thought of harming Mario would not even enter his mind."

Daisy stood in silence as the librarian set up the microfilm and instructed her how to use it. As he scanned the newspaper for the obituary section, Daisy tentatively posed one final question. "D-do you have any idea who might have done it? Did the brothers have any enemies?"

Mr. Sato paused as his face darkened. He sighed. "The only enemy I can think of is Rex Bowser. He's a member of a powerful family. They control several companies. Mostly architecture and construction, but they are also involved in weapon development and technology. There's also some suspicion that he was later involved in organized crime." He glanced at Daisy. "His parents wanted him to marry the daughter of a rival company. I think they hoped for a merger and thought a marriage would help to solidify their plans. She was younger than he, but she grew up to be quite a beauty. Have you ever heard of Peach Toadstool?"

Daisy gasped a little. "Peach Toadstool the socialite and philanthropist? She knew the Martelli brothers? I'm related to her! Well, at least distantly related. I think she's my Dad's third cousin once removed or something. I've never actually met her."

Mr. Sato smiled. "She's a good lady. When she was old enough, Bowser began to pursue her. She politely declined him, but he wouldn't take no for an answer. When they first met Peach, the brothers were just leaving a plumbing job somewhere in the Upper East Side. They saw Bowser harassing Peach. They didn't know who Bowser or Peach were, but they immediately ran to Peach's aid. This enraged Bowser, of course. How could two simple plumbers dare to stand up to him?" Mr. Sato gave a small smirk. "Unfortunately for Bowser, though, Mario could more than hold his own in a fight, despite his small size.

"Peach was a close friend to both the brothers after that. And perhaps a bit more than friends with Mario. She didn't care that they were just plumbers. She treated them with the same respect and kindness she showed everyone she knew. Of course, the brothers experienced more run-in's with Bowser. Bowser even tried to abduct Peach several times, but Mario and Luigi were always ready to protect her."

"If Bowser was so relentless in his harassment of Peach, why didn't the police get involved?" Daisy questioned.

Mr. Sato shook his head sadly and bitterly. "I think Peach and the brothers tried to involve the police more than once, but Bowser had too many friends in high places. Anyway, I've often wondered if perhaps Bowser set the brothers up by luring them to that accursed mansion. Mario did tell Peach that he and Luigi were going Upstate for a few days. It was a spur of the moment decision. He told Peach that Luigi had been pestering him to take a vacation." Mr. Sato smiled briefly. Then his expression darkened. "When they didn't come back, Peach started to worry. She asked me if I had any idea where they were, but I hadn't heard from them either. Soon after that, we went to the police. Perhaps Bowser sent that letter to Luigi and hired thugs to meet the brothers at the mansion and murder them. I don't know if Bowser would stoop to _that_ level, though. Then again, if the rumors about Bowser's involvement in organized crime were true, he would have had contact with thugs and hit men..." Mr. Sato trailed off and Daisy mulled over this new information.

The librarian suddenly spoke again, though Daisy wasn't sure if he was speaking to her or himself. "Mario's death was certainly murder, put the police were divided about Luigi. Some shared my suspicion of murder. It's usually quite simple to figure out if a hanging was murder or suicide, but with Luigi… Well, whoever killed him knew what they were doing. They left almost no trace, but there was some bruising on Luigi's arms which could suggest a struggle. There were likely two or more murderers involved if they were able to overpower him. A-and Luigi's neck was scratched as well as bruised. Underneath his fingernails was blood and skin and fibers from the rope." Mr. Sato shuddered and Daisy tentatively touched his arm in what she hoped was a comforting gesture.

Mr. Sato shook himself out of his reverie and pointed to the screen in front of him. "Sorry," he said, "I found the obituaries. I need to get back to work, but feel free to ask if you need any help." He paused. "I-I don't know why you are so interested in my friends, but you're different from most of the others who ask about them. You see them as people, and not just urban legends. Thank you, Miss...uh..."

Daisy gave him a warm smile. "Daisy. Daisy Hawthorne. And thank you, Mr. Sato. For all of your help."

He smiled back. "Call me Yoshi. Everybody does."

* * *

Daisy brushed her auburn hair out of her eyes as a gust of early autumn wind blew vibrant leaves around the Holy Cross Cemetery, where the Martellis' obituaries had said they were buried. She was glad she had the sense to ask Yoshi which section the brothers were buried in before leaving the library. The cemetery proved to be much bigger than she had expected. Even knowing the correct section, finding the right graves would probably take a while. She wandered through the grim gray stones, scanning the names all around her. At last, she spotted a respectable stone bearing the name _Mario Giuseppe Martelli_. She picked up her pace and made her way toward the stone.

Upon arriving at her destination, she noticed four Martelli stones in a row – a family of four. The first two stones were smaller and bore the names _Maria Martelli_ and _Pietro Martelli._ According to their grave markers, Maria died in 1962 and Pietro died in 1965. She then turned to the next two stones. While not ostentatious, the brothers' headstones were a little larger than their parents' and beautifully carved. Daisy speculated that Peach must have purchased the stones. She doubted they had come cheap. Daisy reached down to brush away fallen leaves from the stones and examined the inscription on Luigi's grave marker.

 _Luigi Antonio Martelli_

 _October 12, 1949 – August 26, 1977_

 _Beloved Brother and Friend_

She sighed sadly. It was odd to think that Luigi was laying directly below her. "But you're not really here, are you," she stated sadly. "You're in a haunted mansion far from home." She glanced again at the birth date. He hadn't even reached his 28th birthday. A life cruelly cut short. He would never see his home in Brooklyn again. He would never get married or have children.

Upon glancing at Mario's stone she found it a little odd that the twin brothers had different birthdays. Mario's birthday was recorded as October, 11, 1949. She smiled softly. Maybe it wasn't so strange. For all she knew, Mario could have been born at 11:55 pm and Luigi ten minutes later.

Daisy stood by the graves a few minutes more before turning away in the direction of her car. She moaned miserably, not looking forward to another four hours on the road. She debated with herself whether she should find a hotel and head home the next day, but she hadn't planned for that and didn't really want to spend the money. She sighed. _Guess I'll eat dinner first and then find me a large bottle of Mountain Dew for the road,_ she thought, _I hope I can find something cheerful on the radio._

* * *

Daisy stumbled into her apartment and hung up her coat. She barely had time to wonder why the lights were on when she heard quick footsteps moving towards her. She looked up and gasped in surprise as Rosalina's blonde head peered around the corner.

"Daisy!" Rosalina exclaimed in a worried tone, "Where have you been?"

Daisy jumped a little. She was so tired she hadn't even noticed Rosalina's car out front. "Rosie? What are you doing here? When did you get back?"

"Only about ten minutes ago," Rosalina answered in a calmer tone. "I had to come back earlier than expected to work on a group project for school. I was just about to call you. You had me worried!"

Daisy managed a smile. "You worry too much, Rosie. I-I was just out… um, for a drive!"

Rosalina raised an eyebrow skeptically. "At ten o'clock at night?"

"Yeah, I um…" Daisy sighed. She was an adult. So why was she acting like a kid with her hand caught in the cookie jar? "I just took a day trip down to New York City."

It was Rosalina's turn to gasp. "By yourself? Daisy, that's dangerous!"

Daisy chuckled. "Rosalina, you're such a mom! I was perfectly safe. It's not like I was wandering down any dark alleys. And even if I was, I have a mean left hook!" she said confidently.

"Daisy…" Rosalina sighed.

"Rosie, relax," Daisy said casually, "I left the city before dark."

"But did you really go all by yourself? Why?"

"I-I don't know. It was kind of a spontaneous decision? I didn't have anything better to do this weekend."

Rosalina gazed at her incredulously.

Daisy rubbed at her eyes. "Look, Rosie, after almost eight hours on the road, I'm pretty tired, so I think I'll turn in. Goodnight!" And with that, the younger girl hurried off to her room, leaving her friend gazing after her with a worried frown.

* * *

 _A/N: I know I should've probably given Bowser and Peach more "real world" surnames, but I couldn't come up with anything. Or rather, I was too lazy to come up with anything, so... I hope their regular names work. ^^' **November 5, 2018 Edit: At Mariogeek's suggestion, I decided to change Bowser's name so that "Bowser" is his surname. Mariogeek felt that "Bowser" as a surname would fit this setting better, and I agree. It's also fun because there is a gentleman named Doug Bowser who works as the head of sales and marketing for Nintendo of America, which I think is totally awesome. Special thanks to Mariogeek for pointing this out to me! :D For his first name, well, I just went with "Rex". I guess it's pretty cool. It means "king". Okay, maybe "Rex Bowser" is kind of a lame name, but it's staying "Rex Bowser" until I can come up with something better. The characters in this story are mostly just going to refer to him as "Bowser" or "Mr. Bowser" anyway.**_

 _I have this random head canon that Mario was born at 11:50 pm and Luigi was born 20 minutes later at 12:10 am, so they're twins with different birthdays. It's just a fun and random head canon I have, so don't take it too seriously. ;)_

 _Sorry Luigi wasn't in this chapter. At least, not in person. We'll see a lot of him in chapter four, which I'll try to post on June 30._


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N: Guess what?! I posted chapter four! And way earlier than expected, too! The only drawback is that you may have to wait a while for chapter five. I've started on it, and I hope it turns out well. (I'm kind of excited, because at least part of the chapter is going to be from Luigi's perspective!) But, it still has a long way to go... Why do my plot bunnies show up, give me some good ideas to start with, and then leave me to die partway through? Does that happen to anyone else? Anyway, special thanks to everyone who reviewed. Reviews make me so happy! (I also appreciate those who followed and/or favorited. ;) )_

* * *

For the third time, Daisy made her way up the pathway to the mansion. She hoped she would be lucky enough to find him quickly, as she did on her last venture into the old place. Although, she worried about the state he would be in after she had botched things so badly last time. Was he still in denial? Was he afraid of her? Did he hate her? She sighed. Tact was never her strong suit. She could only hope that Luigi wasn't too hysterical today and that she would be able to reach him without triggering another nervous breakdown.

On a whim, she decided to try the door directly opposite of the entrance and was surprised to find it unlocked. She stepped through the door into a long hallway. "Hey, Mr. Martelli?" she called gently, "Luigi? A-are you there? It's me again. I'm sorry about last week…"

"Looking for Mr. Mopey?" A stranger's voice answered her.

Daisy gasped and whipped her head around just in time to see the ghost of a young man appear before her. He was tall and very slim with long limbs and large hands clutching a cue stick. His hair was a strange violet hue with a cowlick in front. He was a little strange-looking, but not altogether unattractive. Although, the blood stains on his gray diamond-patterned vest were a bit unsettling. He flashed her a smile. "Sorry to startle you. The name's Timothy Banks. Everyone calls me Slim, though." He shifted his cue stick to his left hand and held out his right for her to shake, though Daisy made no move to accept it.

Daisy managed to collect herself but remained wary. "Oh. It's you. The pool shark guy."

Slim looked offended and withdrew his hand. "Pool Shark!" he exclaimed, "Are you suggesting that I'm a hustler? I always shoot straight!"

"Okay, okay! I'm sorry. That's just what I've heard about you."

"Humph! Mean-spirited gossips! Anyway, if you're looking for Mustache Guy, you'll find him on the roof."

"The roof? How do you know? What's he doing up there?"

Slim rolled his eyes. "Moping, of course. Eh, it's not uncommon. Guy meets an unpleasant end, fails to cross over, and carries on without realizing he's dead. Heck, even I didn't realize I was dead at first. I wandered around following my brother and wondered why he was so upset. I thought he was angry at me and just refusing to talk to me but…" his voice grew quiet and more subdued. "Well, he just couldn't see me, see? Pretty soon, they held my funeral in the mansion and of course everything made sense. I guess I was lucky. Attending your own funeral can actually help you feel closure, even if it is damned depressing. I don't think Mustache Guy ever had the chance to attend his funeral."

Slim's voice perked up again. "Anyway. Sooner or later, they finally figure out that they're dead. If they're smart, they get over it and find a hobby. Like me or that Neville guy. But knowing ol' Greenie up there, he'll probably end up just wandering the mansion like he always does, crying for his brother in that whiny voice of his."

"You know, you could show a little more compassion. The man's in pain."

" _He's_ in pain?!" the ghost responded, "We're all in pain here, missy! Do you think I wanted to be shot down in the prime of life by a crazy drunk who couldn't take a joke? Anyway, I don't see why you're so interested in _him._ Why don't you forget the Mustache Guy and come shoot some billiards with me? I'm not very good, so you'll probably win."

Daisy smirked, "Thanks, but no thanks. I have business with "Mustache Guy," as you call him."

Slim sighed. "Alright. I'll be in the Billiard room just down the hall and to your left if you change your mind." He floated down the hall away from her. Daisy shook her head to herself and retreated into the foyer, marveling at the realization that casual conversation with a ghost now passed for normality. Maybe Luigi would hear her calling if she went outside. She didn't really fancy exploring the mansion to find a way to the roof.

When she stepped outside, she looked up but couldn't see him. Perhaps he was on the other side of the roof? "Luigi?" she called, hoping with all her might that she would get his attention without alerting any unfriendly ghosts.

As she continued to look up, she thought she heard a scuffling sound. Although he was harder to see in the late evening light, she made out Luigi's apprehensive face peeking down at her from behind one of the mansion's many gables. "H-hey there," she called gently. I just wanted to talk to you and apologize about last week. Please. Will you come down?"

Luigi considered her for a moment before sighing and slowly floating down to face her, looking extremely self-conscious. "I, uh, went to Brooklyn yesterday," she began awkwardly, "I visited your grave."

Luigi glanced at her nervously, not sure exactly how to respond to that. "Um...thanks."

"I didn't think to bring flowers, though. How could I not think of that? Next time I'll bring flowers!" she babbled.

"I'd like that."

"So, um, how are you?" She inquired hesitantly.

Luigi stared at the ground. "I just d-died. How do you think I am?" he said hollowly.

"Um, yeah…" she answered, "Luigi, honey, you've been dead for forty-one years."

He looked back up at her as his eyes widened in shock. "Forty-one... You mean I'm sixty-eight years old?"

"Yeah…I guess you could say that."

He closed his eyes miserably. "Mama mia," he muttered.

"I'm sorry about last week," she continued, "I was only trying to help."

He shook his head. "No," he said sadly, "I'm sorry. For not believing you last week. And for snapping at you just now. You've been nothing but kind." He lifted his eyes to meet hers. "Please. Don't trouble yourself with me. It really isn't safe here, and you're just a kid. Go away and forget about me. You don't need to come back anymore." He turned and started to float back up to the roof.

"Hey!" Daisy called, "Wait a minute there, Casper!"

He stopped midway to the roof. "Casper?" he asked incredulously.

"Oh," said Daisy, "I guess you wouldn't get that reference."

He turned to her and rolled his eyes. "I know who Casper is."

"How?" asked a surprised Daisy, "That movie is like, from the 90's."

"They made a movie of Casper?" Luigi said with some surprise.

"Well, yeah. Sometime in the 1990's. And then they made a cartoon later."

Luigi shook his head. "No, no. Casper is much older than that. He was around when I was a kid. In comic books and creepy cartoons. Mario and I saw some at the movies when we were little." He shuddered. "Gave me nightmares."

"Okay. Well, that's not important right now," Daisy put her hands on her hips. "And I'm not a kid! I'm eighteen. I'm in college, for crying out loud!"

Luigi smirked a little at that and Daisy realized it was the closest thing to a smile she had ever seen on him. "Hmmm… Eighteen you say? I could've sworn you were sixteen."

It was Daisy's turn to roll her eyes. "Yeah I get that a lot. I know I look younger than I am, but I'm still an adult."

Luigi gave her a real smile at that, albeit a small one. It made him look younger, almost boyish. "Whatever you say."

Although still somewhat annoyed, Daisy couldn't help but give him a little smile back. "Well, would you look at that..."

"Huh?"

"You have a smile. A very nice one, too."

He quickly looked away as his cheeks turned a dark shade of blue.

Daisy giggled. "You're blushing!" she teased.

"Am not! G-ghosts can't blush."

Daisy beamed. "Okay, so you're doing the ghostly equivalent thereof. Anyway, I'm not leaving yet. Not until I've helped you."

He regarded her with a mixture of sadness and confusion. "W-why? Why should you help me? You don't know me. I was d-dead two decades before you were even born! Again, you're very kind to worry about me, Miss, but I'm not worth it. Go on and live your life."

"What do you mean you're not worth it?" Daisy exclaimed in surprise. She tried for an encouraging smile. "You're the nicest ghost I've ever met! Okay, so that's not saying much, but still, you seem like a great guy. Besides, you saved my life! Twice! So, I owe you."

He shook his head as his cheeks darkened again. "No, no. You don't owe me anything- "

"Shhh! Interrupted Daisy. I won't take no for an answer."

Luigi sighed. "Look, Miss…"

"Daisy!" She chimed in cheerfully.

"D-Daisy… I appreciate your concern, but I'm not sure you can help me. I-I don't think anyone can." He swallowed. "T-this is the afterlife I was given. I'll have to learn to cope with it."

"But why? You're clearly miserable. Don't you want to see your family again? Your brother? I'm sure they miss you! Or, wait. Is your brother here, too?"

Luigi flinched and squeezed his eyes shut at the mention of his brother. "I-I don't know... I-I don't think so..."

"Well then," said Daisy confidently, "Make with the crossing over, already!"

"I don't know how," he flatly responded.

"Huh? You don't see some mystical light or anything?"

He sighed with some exasperation as he pinched the bridge of his prominent nose. "No…"

Daisy thought for a moment. "Well then, we'll just have to find out what's keeping you here. Are there any ghosts here, preferably non-murderous ones, who would know how?"

Luigi put his hand on the back of his neck and refused to look at her. Something about this conversation was making him supremely uncomfortable. "I-I suppose… there might be someone." He glanced at Daisy. "If I promise to ask her about it, will you promise to leave?"

Daisy pouted a little. "Hey, you're not getting rid of me that easily! Take me with you, and we'll talk to this person together."

Luigi shook his head. "I'm not letting you go back into that mansion! I'd never forgive myself if you were hurt."

Daisy smiled. "I'll be alright! Somehow, with you close by I don't feel so scared. Besides, with my flashlight and your vacuum, we'll be unstoppable!"

Luigi glanced nervously between Daisy and the mansion. "I-I guess you can come with me. It's not yet dark… the really bad ghosts don't come out as much before dark. But we'll have to hurry. The sun's beginning to go down. A-and I'll only let you come o-on one condition!"

"Which is...?"

He looked at her seriously. Stay close and do exactly as I say. Meaning, if I say run, you run. If I tell you to leave and go home, you leave and go home.

Daisy smiled and held out her hand. "Deal!"

Luigi hesitantly took her hand and shook it, only to make Daisy shudder at his icy touch. "S-sorry…" he mumbled.

Daisy smiled, "No big deal! Let's go!" With that, she briskly made her way to the door.

Luigi quickly floated after her. "W-wait for me! You don't the way!"

* * *

The unusual duo made their way through the mansion foyer and through the door opposite the entrance. They emerged into the hallway where Daisy had just met Slim minutes before. On that note, Daisy thought she could hear the clink of billiard balls coming from down the hall straight ahead, but perhaps it was just her imagination. Luigi motioned for her to follow him. "Thankfully, it's not very far. Otherwise, I would never have let you come in here." Luigi said quietly. He turned to their right and made his way down the hall, pausing at the first door on the right. "O-okay. Here goes." He opened the door and led the way into the room beyond.

Immediately, Daisy was hit with the strong smell of incense. She coughed a little in surprise. In the center of the wood paneled room stood a small table with a crystal ball and stand resting on top of it. Over the crystal ball hung a canopy of deep blue velvet curtains. Ornately patterned blue rugs covered the wooden floor. A large, wooden chair resembling a medieval throne sat in front of the table. A snoring sound emanated from the chair.

"Madame Clairvoya?" Luigi called softly. "Are you there? Sorry to bother you, but I need to ask you something." Daisy heard snorting and yawning before the figure of a skinny elderly woman appeared. She turned her head from side to side, looking blearily for the source of the voice calling her. Daisy followed Luigi as he moved around the table to face Madame Clairvoya. She wore deep red robes, gaudy jewelry, and a veil over her nose and mouth imprinted with the unsettling image of an eye.

"L-Luigi?" she asked with surprise, "I sense you are no longer among the living!"

"Um…yeah," he answered awkwardly. He glanced at Daisy. "Apparently, I haven't been for forty-one years."

The fortune teller blinked. "Have I really been asleep for that long?" she cried incredulously. She quickly collected herself and continued in a deep, dramatic voice. "Er, that is… a trance! Have I really been in trance for forty-one years? Why did you not come to see me, kind Luigi?"

"Well, I didn't realize the truth until recently..."

It was hard to see her expression underneath her veil, but she seemed to give Luigi a sympathetic look. "Aye, 'tis not as far-fetched as you think. Ghosts don't experience time in the same way as mortals. We get caught up in our despair, or our own thoughts, and don't always realize that the past hour has really been a decade or more. What brought you back to the present?"

He gestured to Daisy. "This girl, she helped me realize… what was really going on."

Madame Clairvoya turned to Daisy and beamed. "Ah! Such lovely young lady!" she declared dramatically. "And one who possesses the Sight, no less!"

"Um, excuse me? What do you mean, _the Sight!_ " Daisy asked, imitating Clairvoya's deep alto voice on the last two words.

Madame Clairvoya smiled, seemingly ignoring Daisy's sass. "I simply mean you have the ability to see ghosts. Not all living mortals can, you know. It is possible to develop and improve your Sight to a degree, but at the end of the day, some have it and others do not. You surely have it. Although, your Sight is not as clear as some. A ghost could certainly hide from you if it wished. However, you were bound to notice something in such a spiritually active place as this! Now consider Luigi on the other hand. In life, he possessed some of the clearest Sight I had ever perceived! And he never even worked to improve it. He didn't need to! He was simply born with incredible Sight!"

Daisy glanced between Clairvoya and Luigi. "Wait. Are you saying Luigi had psychic abilities?"

"Well, not exactly," clarified the fortune teller. "Possessing the Sight is crucial for one who practices the psychic arts, but not everyone with the Sight possesses other psychic abilities. He was just very sensitive to the presence of earthbound spirits. It was more like he possessed…"

"A sixth sense?" Daisy finished for her. She spun around to look at Luigi. "Whoa! You had the sixth sense?"

Luigi, who had remained silent and nervous during the conversation simply looked at her with bewilderment. Apparently, he really didn't know _that_ reference.

The fortune teller smiled. "That's a good way of putting it. Most spirits don't bother the living." Her expression turned sympathetic. "But it can be distressing for the mortal who sees them. Especially if that mortal is a young boy who sees things no one else around him can." She looked pointedly at Luigi. "A boy who is constantly told that he is imagining things, or else making them up."

Luigi shifted uncomfortably and stared at the ground, his cheeks slightly flushed.

"In any case," Madame Clairvoya continued, "Why did you come to see me?" She smiled kindly at Luigi. "Not that I don't enjoy speaking with you, my boy."

"W-well," he began nervously, "Do you happen to know why I'm still here?"

"You mean why did you not cross over? "Hmmm… There could be several reasons… I hesitate to ask, but do you remember your passing?"

Luigi opened his mouth to speak, but then stopped abruptly, blinking rapidly. "I-I don't, he said with surprise, "I mean, I remember pain. A-and I couldn't breathe. And…" His eyes widened as his hand moved up to touch his neck. "I… No, I couldn't have…"

Daisy cleared her throat hesitantly. "Um, maybe it's not my place to say this, but, his body was found hanging by his neck. Here in the mansion." She said quietly and sadly.

"B-but I…" he began, "I-I don't think I would have committed suicide… But I don't remember…"

Daisy attempted to place a hand on his shoulder, only to have it pass right through. "Um… You were pretty distraught looking for your brother, right? You may have not been in your right mind…"

Luigi turned away from her, hugging himself miserably. His eyes gazed forward with a broken expression, lost in thought. The three figures were silent for a moment.

"You know," Daisy broke the silence gently, "Yoshi never believed it was suicide. He always thought you were murdered." Luigi snapped out of his thoughts and gazed at her with some surprise. "I-I mean," Daisy continued, "I guess that's not really much better... But it's a little better, right?" She cringed at how stupid she must sound, but Luigi gave her a weak smile.

"Y-you know Yoshi?" He asked.

"A-a little," she answered, "I met him yesterday at the Brooklyn library."

"Still at the library, huh?" He said softly, seemingly comforted that some things hadn't changed. His mouth formed a worried frown. "He'd be pretty old now, wouldn't he? In his early seventies... Is he alright?"

"Oh yeah!" Daisy answered quickly and cheerfully, wanting to reassure him. "I mean, he was pretty old, but he looked good! Healthy, I mean."

Luigi's gentle smile returned. "He always did have lotsa energy. Wow, it seems like I only saw him last week..." he trailed off wistfully

The silence returned before Madame Clairvoya broke it with a cough. "Returning to the matter at hand, despair can drive a person to actions they would normally never consider," she said sadly, "But what matters here is that you were a young man killed before his time. Whether by yourself or someone else remains unclear. Your end was violent and unexpected. Some souls fail to cross over from the trauma of such an experience. They lack closure and stay behind either purposefully, or because they simply haven't realized their end has already come. At any rate, once you remain tied to the mortal plane, it can be difficult to find your way to the other side."

"So, is there anything he can do?" asked Daisy.

The spectral psychic thought for a moment. "Hard to say. I will say that many earthbound spirits are preventing themselves from moving on. They may lack closure, or feel they have unfinished business. Luigi!" Luigi started and looked up at her. "I do not know everything that is at work here, but have you considered the possibility that one of the obstacles in your way is you? You cannot cross over if you are preventing yourself from doing so." Luigi trembled a little. Madame Clairvoya smiled kindly. "You know what I mean. And now, I must sleep. Communing with the spirts has left me tired. Farewell, kind Luigi. Farewell, fair maiden." And with that, Madame Clairvoya slowly faded away.

Luigi sighed. "Communing with spirits? _I'm_ the only spirit she's been talking to." He gestured to the door and Daisy followed him out of the fortune teller's room.

The two emerged from the mansion into the fading dusk outside. "Well." Daisy broke the awkward silence. "She was… Well, she wasn't really all that helpful, was she?" she stated.

Luigi moaned and plopped down on the porch. "She never was! But she was the closest thing I had to a friend in this mansion. Well, except for maybe the _Professore_ …"

" _Professore?_ " Daisy asked quickly, "Are you talking about that paranormal investigator? Gadd, or whatever?"

Luigi looked up in surprise. " _Professore_ E. Gadd, yeah. You've heard of him?"

"I saw a newspaper article about him coming to investigate the mansion. He gave you that vacuum thingy, didn't he?"

" _Si._ Wait, when was that? '77?"

"Um, no, actually. The article was dated 2001."

Luigi's eyes widened. "You mean I was already dead?!" he cried with some indignation, "Why didn't he say anything?!" His voice dropped to a mutter. "Well I guess that explains why he kept looking at me and saying 'fascinating.'"

Daisy managed to stifle a laugh, though she couldn't help but smile. "Well," she said, "That fortune teller did give us one clue, at least. She said you might be keeping yourself here." Luigi fidgeted nervously. "Any idea what she meant?"

Luigi looked pointedly away. "I-I dunno… She likes speaking in riddles."

"But she said you knew what she meant, so…"

Luigi sighed. "Don't worry about it Daisy. It's not important."

"So, you do know!" Daisy declared cheerfully. "So, what's troubling you? Are you scared of the unknown?"

"I'm scared of everything," he deadpanned.

"Well, is there anything else then? Any unfinished business? Well, I guess that's a dumb question. You had your whole life ahead of you. Um… was there a girl involved? Someone you never got to say goodbye to?"

He screwed his eyes shut. "Please drop it Daisy," he pleaded.

"Is it something psychological? Something from your childhood?"

"Daisy! Please!" he said desperately.

Daisy pouted with mild frustration. "Well, I can't help you if you don't open up!"

"Help me?" he snapped, "I told you, you can't help me. No one can!" He blinked rapidly as his eyes filled with tears. "And even if you could, I don't deserve your kindness or pity. I'm supposed to be here. T-this…" He swallowed hard. "This is my purgatory."

Daisy furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "Huh?"

The ghostly tears continued to fall rapidly. "It's all my fault!" Luigi sobbed. "I'm the one who insisted we investigate the mansion. We both knew it was probably a sham. But I used it as an excuse to get out of the city for a while. We hadn't taken a vacation in years, not since he came home from Vietnam, and Mario always works... worked so hard. He was always so full of energy, but I could tell how worn down he really was. I thought we could take a few days off and go Upstate. And when Mario disappeared… I-I failed him. I couldn't save my own brother!" Daisy took a step back in surprise as the ghost continued to fall apart, blubbering out his pained confession.

"H-he was always there for me. Whenever I got lost, he would find me. When bullies troubled me as a child, he would fight for me. Whenever m-my f-father criticized me, or h-hit me, he would stand up for me. And.." his voice broke, "H-he was there for me w-when our m-mama died." He gasped and sobbed. "You see, Daisy, I d-deserve to be here. I-It's my fault Mario's dead. For once, it was my turn to help him, and I l-let him die!" He wailed and curled in on himself, shoulders shaking violently.

Rather than feel disheartened by his emotional display, Daisy sat down next to him and beamed. "Well, now we're getting somewhere!" she said gently but cheerfully.

Luigi abruptly stood up with a growl of irritation. "Don't you get it?" he snapped again, "This is my punishment! Hell is too good for me! Now, please! Just leave me alone!" And with that, he turned and rushed straight through the mansion wall, leaving a stunned Daisy behind.

"Luigi, wait!" she cried, "I-I'm sorry, I just-" she sighed. "Nice going, Daisy," she muttered to herself. She looked back at the mansion. "I don't know if you can hear me Luigi, but I'm not going to give up on you! I will help you find peace if it's the last thing I do!" She sighed and gazed up at the twilit sky. She shuddered as the mansion gave off a chorus of otherworldly sounds. _I can't stay here any longer,_ she thought. She glanced back at the mansion. "I'll be back, Luigi. That's a promise." And with that, she stood and made her way quickly back to the safety of her car.


	5. Chapter 5

_Author's Note: Sorry for the long wait, and thank you for reading. I hope you enjoy the chapter!_

* * *

Luigi hovered in the foyer in a sitting position, head resting in his large, transparent hands. The Poltergust sat on the floor close to him. Since Daisy left after her last visit, he kept close to the mansion's entrance. He sighed and sunk to the floor. Daisy had seemed determined to see him again, so he resolved to stay near the entrance where he could greet her. If he wasn't there when she showed up, the adventurous girl might wander through the mansion looking for him, and he couldn't bear the thought of her being hurt or killed. Especially with everything else on his conscience. He wondered why the spirited girl even bothered with him when their meetings always ended with him yelling at her or experiencing a nervous breakdown. Perhaps she was a little blunt, but she was only trying to help. He had no excuse for flying off the handle like that.

He listened to the somewhat comforting sound of pouring rain outside and tried humming to himself a little bit. He couldn't help but feel a little bored, though he knew he had no right to complain. He just wished there was more to do around the mansion that didn't involve encounters with strange ghosts. Without anything to distract him, he found himself easily swallowed up and consumed by his ever-present despair and loneliness.

Twice, he ducked out of the foyer to visit Madame Clairvoya, but she had been sleeping both times, and Luigi couldn't bring himself to wake her just to listen to his troubles and complaints.

Once, he tried walking to the mansion's front gate, but as he moved further away from the building, he felt oddly weak, as though the mansion held sway over his very existence. Halfway to the gate, it felt like he was trying to move through a pool of molasses, and he had almost reached the stone wall when he found he couldn't move at all, no matter how he struggled and reached out.

Now, he resided in the foyer, practicing his floating and hovering. He could think of nothing better to do, and he found he lacked skill in some of his new ghostly abilities. At least, relatively new, when compared to the mansion's other ghosts. Floating upwards was fairly easy. It was floating downwards that sometimes gave him trouble. Jumping off the roof and floating down to the ground was one thing. Changing directions while suspended in midair proved a little trickier. Once he reached the ceiling, he would attempt to descend back to the floor. After a few moments of concentration, his descent would begin, but he couldn't always stop it in time before he was sinking through the floor into the basement below.

The first time he sank through the floor, he found himself in a grimy cellar that was almost completely buried in dust mounds. Purple and blue ghosts had leered and began to close in on him, so he shot back up through the basement's ceiling as quickly as he could.

The second time, he had moved to the other side of the room, hoping to avoid the cellar. This time, he descended into a frigid room housing a ghost completely encased in a block of ice. Though shocked and frightened by the eerie sight, Luigi had tentatively asked if the man needed any help. The frozen ghost only rolled his eyes and told Luigi to mind his own business, so the deceased plumber had left it at that. Now, he stayed in the middle of the foyer, where he could only sink into an empty hallway below.

He managed to stop on the foyer's floor and decided to perch on the stairs and rest for a while. He thoughts drifted back to Daisy. Even if their visits always seemed to end negatively, he found himself looking forward to her arrival. He smiled gently at the memory of the energetic redhead. At least her friendship brought him some comfort. He blushed slightly at the mental image of her deep blue eyes and auburn hair bouncing in its ponytail. He shook his head violently. He had no right to such selfish thoughts. He needed to find some way to convince Daisy to stop coming here. She deserved so much better that to waste her time on a lost cause like him, especially when doing so was certainly putting her in danger.

He saw something glinting out of the corner of his eye, and he glanced to his left to see the cracked mirror in the corner. The rainclouds had apparently parted, and a pale sunbeam shone through the window onto its metal frame. He stared at the old looking glass apprehensively. He hadn't gotten a good look at himself since his death. The mansion housed many mirrors, but he had been so absorbed in his hopeless quest, he had never bothered to stop and examine himself. He wondered what he looked like now. He wondered if he wanted to know what he looked like now. He sat in silence, mulling over this realization. Fear and curiosity battled within him for dominance. Curiosity won, but only just.

He trembled as he slowly rose and made his way toward the mirror, dreading the truth it showed but still wanting to know. He wondered if, as a ghost, he could even see his own reflection. Then again, he supposed it worked for that Lydia ghost. He shut his eyes tightly and took a deep breath before opening them again to peek around the mirror's frame. He could barely make out his face through the thick coating of dust lining the mirror. He reached out and the image slowly became clearer as he wiped the dust away. He gasped at the sight of the shocked and frightened face before him, withdrawing quickly in fear and cowering in on himself. He trembled silently for a few moments before the embarrassing realization dawned. Feeling disgusted with himself, he sat and glared at the wall ahead of him. That was the other reason he hadn't ventured any deeper into the mansion since his last meeting with Daisy. He was still afraid of ghosts. When he thought Mario needed him, he had forged ahead despite his terror with the determination to rescue his brother at all costs. After learning of his pathetic failure, he found himself avoiding the other ghosts like the plague. Except for Madame Clairvoya. But even she made him a little nervous if he was being honest with himself.

He grimaced bitterly. He never thought it possible, but he had somehow managed to become even more pathetic. Here he was, the remnant of a dead man, afraid of his own reflection. He gritted his teeth and forced himself to get up and face the mirror. His pale face glared back at him. He tried desperately to look unafraid, but his trembling gave him away.

He still wore his typical dark-blue overalls over a green long-sleeved shirt, but his usual work gloves were missing, as was his hat. The work gloves made sense. He hadn't been wearing them when he entered the mansion, since he wasn't on the job, but he wondered with some trepidation where his trusty green cap had gone. But if his spirit did have a hat, what would that be like? Would it be some kind of a ghost hat? _Actually, that might be kind of neat,_ he thought. _Why can't I have a ghost hat?_

Glancing back at his reflection with a neutral expression, he saw that his facial features looked almost as they always did. His thick, dark chestnut hair still stuck up in the front and that one spot on his crown, refusing to be tamed. He frowned at his once immaculate, but now messy, dark mustache. He patted his pockets but couldn't detect his favorite little comb. (Again, would it be a ghostly comb?) Without his comb, he opted for his fingers instead, doing his best to smooth out the bushy mess under his large nose. After a few moments, he stepped back to admire his work. He smiled slightly, comforted by the knowledge that his mustache at least looked a little better than before.

His eyes were still blue, but the irises shone with a supernatural glow. His once healthy olive complexion was now a pale shade of icy blue. His eyes were then drawn to the bruises around his neck accompanied by vertical, bright red scratches. His lip trembled as he vainly fought the oncoming tears. He turned from the mirror, not wishing to look at the evidence of his death any longer. _It's your own fault,_ he reminded himself, _You were the one too weak to save your brother. You deserve this. You deserve all of this._

He made his way to the staircase and sat back down, resting his face in his hands as the tears continued to fall. He wondered where Mario was now. Was he in Heaven? Was he happy? It troubled Luigi that he didn't know. Since they were born, the brothers had shared a special connection. Their mother had called it their twin bond. Luigi never thought of it as something magical or supernatural, but more like a special intuition. They could each somehow sense the other's presence and wellbeing. It was how Mario could find Luigi when he got lost as a child. It was how Luigi had been able to survive those three miserable years alone when Mario was in Vietnam. He still worried about Mario, of course, but he somehow knew that Mario was safe and well. At least, as safe as one could be in a war-torn jungle. This twin bond was also the source of his feeling of dread on entering the Mansion's property, when he knew that something was very, very wrong. But now, it felt like their link had weakened. But while he didn't know for certain where or how Mario was, he couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right. A humorless chuckle escaped his lips. Of course something wasn't right. They were both dead. But did the prickling feeling of unease mean more than just that? Could Mario feel him? Had he tried to reunite with Luigi? "Why would he, when you failed him so badly?" he muttered to himself bitterly.

A sudden crash yanked him from his thoughts. Luigi screamed and shot up towards the ceiling, eyes frantically searching for the source of the noise. To his right he saw the chandelier on the floor, where it had narrowly missed smashing the Poltergust. The chandelier suddenly lifted itself back into position amid peals of childish laughter. Luigi shuddered and grabbed the vacuum cleaner as he sped out the door and onto the porch.

* * *

The evening after her third visit, Daisy walked briskly up the pathway to the mansion. When she reached the porch, she was surprised to find Luigi waiting for her, sitting in the same spot he sat in the night before. He smiled shyly at her. "You did say you would come back," he greeted quietly.

"Well, yeah," she smiled softly back, "I didn't think you would be all that eager to see me again."

"Oh, no," he said quickly and sincerely, "You did nothing wrong. I'm the one that snapped at _you_. Again. You didn't deserve that, Daisy. You have such a good heart."

She blushed. "Yeah, now we just need to work on my tact."

He smiled sadly at her. "I meant what I said though. I'm not worth your time." He sighed shakily. "This is my purgatory."

Daisy blinked. "Yeah, you said that before. That's a Catholic thing, right? I guess that makes sense. You are Catholic, right?"

He gazed up at her with a small frown. "So, because I'm Italian, I must be Catholic, is that it?"

Daisy blinked again. "Oh. My mistake. So, you're not Catholic? I mean, you are buried in a Catholic cemetery and…" She stopped when she caught his soft, albeit snarky smile. Wait. Was he teasing her?

His smile widened as he let out a soft chuckle. "Sorry. I couldn't resist. You're right. I was raised Catholic. Though, I haven't gone to Mass regularly since I was a kid. But I would sometimes drag Mario along to Christmas Mass or Easter Mass, just to annoy him. And because I knew Mama would've liked us to go." He smiled weakly at the memory before assuming a more serious expression. "Of course, if this really is Purgatory, that would mean I could go to Heaven once my punishment is served. But maybe it's not Purgatory after all. Maybe Hell is just too good for me," he finished miserably.

"Or maybe," Daisy ventured gently, "you can still find Heaven or Paradise, or wherever. Maybe you just got a little lost along the way." He looked down sadly, his lip trembling. Daisy carefully sat down next to him. "Look Luigi, I think you're being way too hard on yourself. I don't believe that this was meant as a punishment for you. You did nothing wrong!" Luigi blinked and stared at his lap as tears threatened to fall. Daisy sighed. "Hey," she said gently, "Look at me." Luigi slowly lifted his shimmering eyes to meet hers. "What happened to Mario was not you fault," she said firmly. "It sounds to me like you were being a sweet and caring brother. You only wanted Mario to take a break and spend some time with you. It's not your fault some psycho came along with a knife and slit his throat!"

Luigi jerked up as his eyes widened, tears beginning to fall. "S-slit h-his…? Oh, _Fratello!_ I'm so s-sorry!" he sobbed.

Daisy flinched. _Crap! I'm so stupid!_ She thought. "Luigi! I'm so sorry! It just slipped out!"

"T-that's how my brother d-died?" he shakily asked.

"Well, yeah. Though, I think he was knocked out first. His body showed that he suffered a serious blow to the head." Luigi's tears flowed even faster. "But, it's over now! That was forty-one years ago! And it wasn't your fault at all! I've never met your brother, but I know he wouldn't blame you for it! Not when you loved him so much! I'm sure he misses you just as much as you miss him. And I know this isn't some kind of intentional punishment. No one deserves what you're going through, especially not such a good and loving person as yourself."

Luigi blinked, forcing himself to calm down. "B-but… If this isn't Purgatory, then why am I s-still here? And if M-Mario doesn't hate me, then w-why hasn't he tried to come find me?"

Daisy shook her head sadly. "I-I don't know. Maybe he can't. Maybe something's blocking him? The same thing that's blocking you, maybe?" Luigi continued to cry quietly. "Hey," she said, attempting to lighten the mood, "I saw some of that old Casper cartoon. That was seriously messed up." Luigi cracked a smile and nodded weakly.

They sat in silence for a few moments before Luigi quietly spoke. "I-I just wish… I wish I knew if Mario was alright. Even if he hates me. Even if I'm stuck here forever. I could cope with it if I just _knew_ t-that he was at peace.

Daisy turned to him. "Do you think he crossed over?"

Luigi sighed. "I've searched this entire mansion for forty-one years with no sign of him. I- wait." He furrowed his brows in thought.

"What is it?" Daisy prompted.

"It's all kinda fuzzy, but…I can't remember the last time I was up on the third floor. I _know_ I was up there at one point, but- "

Daisy gasped softly. "Luigi… That's where you and Mario died."

Luigi turned paler, if that was possible, as his eyes widened. "D-Daisy… I don't think I've been up there since I d-died."

Daisy perked up and clasped her hands together. "That makes sense! What happened up there was so traumatic that you've been subconsciously avoiding the third floor. Maybe Mario is still up there!"

Luigi shuddered. "I sure hope not."

Daisy continued. "Well, maybe you could find some clues to where he is. Maybe you could figure out what happened to him after he died. What if you could find some way to contact him? Then you two will be reunited and you can cross over together!" She bounced up and down with excitement, but abruptly stopped when she caught sight of the quivering ghost next to her. Luigi was hugging himself and trembling uncontrollably, his wide eyes gazing unseeingly forward. "Luigi…" she ventured softly, placing a hand on his cold back. Or rather, right above his back to avoid slipping right through him.

"G-go up t-to the th-third floor?" he stuttered, "I-I-I don't think I c-can! I-I c-can't d-do it, Daisy! I-I d-don't want to go back up there. I-I don't want to remember! A-and there are so many ghosts! I don't think I can take it!" He shuddered and looked away miserably.

Daisy fought it, but she couldn't stop herself from smiling. "Luigi, are you afraid of ghosts?"

After a slight pause, Luigi sighed bitterly, refusing to look at her. "Go ahead and laugh," he confirmed miserably.

Daisy stifled a laugh, but not an unkind one. "T-that's actually…"

"Extremely pathetic?" he finished ashamedly.

"No, no! It's actually kind of adorable!" she giggled. Luigi stiffened and refused to look at her, and Daisy wondered if he was blushing again. "I'm sorry," she continued gently, "I shouldn't have expected you to just go up to the third floor after what happened to you. No one in your place would react any differently to the idea. I'll go! Or at least, I'll come with you!"

"Daisy," he interrupted tiredly, "I could never ask you do that."

"You're not asking, I'm offering!" she said firmly, "I know you can keep me safe!"

Luigi glanced nervously between Daisy and the mansion's mahogany front door. "Daisy, I-I c-can't."

"I'll be with you the whole time," Daisy coaxed, "I promise I won't leave you."

He shook his head. "It's not just that. What if you're hurt in there? It would be all my fault."

Daisy's courage faltered a little, but she refused to let it show as she continued to smile. "Hey! We'll be fine! We have your vacuum thingy!"

Luigi smiled a little. "The Poltergust."

"What?"

Luigi grinned. "It's called the Poltergust. Not 'vacuum thingy.'"

"Whatever. C'mon, Luigi! We'll take it as slow as you want! I'll be here to help," Daisy said as she made her way towards the front door.

"Daisy, wait!" he cried, "I'm serious! What if we run into evil ghosts? What if we run into _him_? It's already getting dark!"

Daisy hesitated. "Him? Oh, you mean that awful round ghost with the crown?"

Luigi nodded. "Let's go tomorrow," he pleaded.

Daisy shook her head. "I can't. I have tennis practice tomorrow."

"The next day?"

"Soccer practice. And I have to catch up on homework sometime this week."

"T-that's okay," Luigi sighed with relief, "It was a longshot anyway."

"I don't have much going on Saturday," Daisy said brightly, "If I work hard, I'm sure I can finish my homework by Friday night."

Luigi's face fell. "O-okay. I-I guess we could go on Saturday. Erm… What day is it today?"

Daisy's smile faltered. "It's Monday. I know that's a long time to wait. You know what? It's okay. This is way more important than homework or tennis practice. I'll make up some excuse and come tomorrow."

Luigi frowned and shook his head. "Oh, no! Don't do that. I don't want to get you into trouble! And I mean, it's not like I'm going anywhere…"

Daisy frowned. "Luigi… Are you sure?" He nodded. Daisy's shoulders drooped as she sighed. "Well, maybe it would be best if we waited until Saturday," she continued, "I mean, my roommate is already suspicious. She's such a mother hen. She'd know something was up if I missed tennis practice. And she'd freak if she knew I was spending so much time here."

Luigi grimaced. "Can't say that I blame her."

Daisy smiled sadly. "I'm so sorry we have to take a raincheck. I'll be back Saturday. I'll come right after lunch, so we'll have plenty of time before it gets dark."

"O-okay…" Luigi answered. He stood and fell into step beside her as she walked down the path, only to start panting halfway to the wall. "S-sorry," he gasped, "Can't go much further."

She looked at him with concern. "What's the matter?"

He fell to his knees. "I just can't," he said sadly, "It's like some kind of force is fighting against me and trying to pull me back to the mansion."

"Oh," she said quietly. She forced a smile and knelt on the path, facing him. "Well, I guess this is goodbye for now. I'll see you Saturday," she said cheerfully.

He smiled shyly. "Okay."

"Hey, maybe I could come Thursday, too. Just to visit?"

He waved his hands in front of him. "Oh, you don't have to do that!"

"I'll come Thursday," she said firmly. "I won't be able to stay long, but we can at least chat for a while."

Luigi blushed and closed his eyes, suddenly remembering that he was supposed to convince her to stay away. "D-Daisy, I really appreciate the thought, but maybe we should just forget the whole thing. This place isn't safe and I'm not worth risking your life for."

Daisy sighed and rolled her eyes. "We'll stay by the porch! It will be fine! And don't try to talk me out of Saturday. I'm going to the third floor with or without you."

Luigi groaned. "Daisy…"

"Bye Luigi! See you Thursday!" The auburn-haired girl dashed to her car before Luigi could finish his protest.

"Wait!" he cried out to her desperately. Daisy stopped and turned her head to look at him. Luigi sighed. "Look. I-if you insist on coming back - and I still recommend you don't! – B-but if you do, at least promise me you won't explore the mansion without me. If I'm not around the porch or the foyer, just wait for me. And if I don't come out to meet you before dark, promise me you'll just go home."

Daisy opened her mouth to protest but stopped and sighed at the serious look in his eyes. "Okay. But you'd better not stand me up! You'd better be waiting on the porch for me on Thursday!"

Luigi looked away nervously. "O-okay…" He suddenly faced her with wide eyes. "I-I almost forgot! Stay away from the graveyard!"

"The graveyard? Why?"

He shuddered. "There's something there… Something evil. I-it almost killed me when I was alive…" he trailed off.

Daisy's eyes widened. "Alright. Good to know." She managed a small smile. "Well, I guess I'd better get going. Um… Good night!"

He smiled back. "Yeah… Good night! Be careful on the road. It was bad when I drove on it, and that was forty-one years ago."

Daisy giggled a little. "Don't worry, I'm used to it by now. I'll be careful." She waved her hand and walked the rest of the way to her Volkswagen.

Luigi watched as her vehicle bounced away down the ill-kept dirt road. He remained there as the sky darkened and lit up with stars. Finally, he sighed and turned back towards the mansion, eyes darting nervously up to the third-floor windows.

* * *

 _Chapter Note: I picture ghost!Luigi a little differently than he would probably look in-game. In the game, the ghosts' eyes glow in a solid color, without whites or pupils, but I just didn't like picturing Luigi's eyes that way. It seemed creepy and relatively expressionless. I wanted his eyes to look human, soulful, and expressive. So, his eyes still have their whites and pupils, but the irises glow. Then, for consistency's sake, I ended up picturing all the "portrait" ghosts' eyes that way. Also, I picture Luigi and the portrait ghosts with legs in this story, when I know they would normally have tails, but honestly, this is all just me. You can picture the ghosts however you want. ;)_

 _Author's Note: I'm a little worried about this story's title. I like it because the mansion has become a purgatory of sorts for Luigi in that he's trapped and can't move on. But I don't want to imply that Luigi is in Purgatory in the religious sense, because he's not, even if Luigi himself thinks so. Daisy has the right idea. He found himself in a bad place and became an innocent victim of the mansion's curse._

 _I have a head canon that while not particularly religious in their adult lives, the Mario Bros. were raised Roman Catholic. Maybe that's stereotypical of me... ^^' But realistically, if they were Italian-Americans growing up in the 1950's and '60's, as they are in this story, it's very likely they would identify as Catholic, even if they weren't regular church goers. I dunno… I guess I've always enjoyed stories that emphasize their Italian-ness. Plus, I find the idea of Luigi cheerfully dragging a reluctant Mario to Christmas Midnight Mass both hilarious and adorable._

 _But on that note, I'm not intending this to be a religious fic. We're dealing with death and the afterlife, so some religious/spiritual ideas may be mentioned, but I'm not promoting any religion or belief system above another. I'm just trying to write a fun angsty ghost story because I like fun angsty ghost stories._


	6. Chapter 6

_Author's Note: Thanks so much to everyone for the reviews, favs, and follows! :) Again, I really appreciate it._

 _On second thought, maybe I do want to picture Luigi with a ghostly tail… He's kinda cute that way. I dunno… I can't decide. I guess I'll just keep it ambiguous._

 _I struggled a little with this chapter and I'm still not 100% happy with it, but hopefully it turned out okay. I'm sorry it's a bit on the short side, and it gets pretty sad towards the end. It was originally going to be longer, but I felt that I had reached a good stopping place, and it probably would have been too long if I had kept going as planned. I'll try not to take too long with the next chapter._

* * *

Luigi gazed miserably at the only staircase leading to the third floor. He trembled at the very idea of climbing those stairs and felt sick to his nonexistent stomach. Even so, he had to admit Daisy was right. This was the only lead they had to discovering Mario's fate. He was also learning how difficult, if not impossible, it was to dissuade Daisy from an objective once her mind was made up. She was determined to explore the third floor, come Hell or high water, with or without him. He shook his head and did his best to stop trembling. Daisy was a living, breathing girl, and so young. Only a shameful coward would allow her to put herself in danger when he was perfectly capable of going by himself. "You're a ghost, _idiota_!" he whispered to himself. "What could happen? It's not like you can die!" After scolding himself, he took a deep breath, (or at least went through the motions of taking a deep breath) and began his ascent to the third floor for the first time in forty-one years.

He emerged into a short empty hallway, containing nothing except a thick carpet of dust and dead bugs, and accented by cobwebs in the corners. "This entire mansion is disgusting," he muttered, "You'd think at least some of the ghosts would take the time to clean now and then." He sighed. "Maybe that will be my job if I end up staying here forever." He spied a single door at the end of the hallway to his left. Upon entering the room, he gasped at the sight of animal skins on the floor and deer heads mounted on the wall. He remembered this room and his feeling of disgust at the way these animals had been treated. He shook his head and pressed forward. No time to dwell on that now.

He left the Safari Room and emerged into yet another hallway. As he made his way down the hallway, several pink and purple ghosts popped out of the ceiling and cackled at him. Luigi jumped and cried out, falling on his bottom and whimpering as he scooted backwards away from the ghosts. The ghosts continued to cackle cruelly at him but stopped when they spotted the Poltergust on his back. Giving him a final glare, they turned away from him and disappeared back through the ceiling. Luigi gasped and blinked. After taking a moment to calm himself down, he slowly stood and shakily continued down the hall.

He noticed a door to his right, but he recalled it being locked the last time he passed by, when he was still alive. Of course, that was over four decades ago, but he was fairly certain he had never entered that room. But then again, perhaps Mario had. He hesitated. Something about that room gave him a terrible feeling. He shook his head to himself, deciding to come back to that room if he found nothing elsewhere.

Continuing forward, Luigi stepped through another door and found himself on a large balcony. To his right, a large ghost in a tight red muscle shirt was gazing up at the stars. Luigi quietly snuck in the opposite direction, keeping as close as he could to the mansion's wall, hoping to escape this ghost's attention. Normally, he would enjoy stargazing as well, but something about this balcony filled him with unease. He quickly creeped away to his left, finding another door that reentered the mansion.

As he stepped into the hallway beyond, his feeling of dread grew. He heard voices and cackling, but thankfully saw no ghosts. He chuckled a little bitterly. It wasn't like the ghosts could hurt him anymore, but even so, he couldn't seem to shake intense fear that even the thought of ghosts caused. As he approached the end of the long hallway, he discovered two doors opposite each other. One to his left and one to his right. He glanced to his left. He knew it. It led to the Telephone room; that horrible room he visited when the lights went out. He shuddered uncontrollably. The memories were fuzzy, but he knew that was the last room he entered alive. He felt both drawn and repelled by that room. Every fiber of his being was screaming at him to run away, and yet he felt he needed to enter. Unable to take the emotional strain, he quickly turned to his right and entered the room on that side, closing the door tightly behind him.

Luigi slowly turned around and observed his surroundings. Tall suits of medieval armor regarded him solemnly, but before Luigi could investigate further, they began to shake and rattle. Five brightly colored ghosts emerged from the helmets of the suits, grabbing antique clubs, pikes and swords. They waved their weapons menacingly and one even hit Luigi with his spikey club. It passed right through him and barely missed smashing the Poltergust, but of course Luigi cowered and whimpered anyway. The ghosts guffawed and gleefully cackled as they proceeded to fly around the room making as much noise as possible, whacking the suits of armor with their weapons.

Luigi trembled and gasped, willing himself to get a grip. They were just being jerks. They couldn't harm him. Another mace whooshed towards him and Luigi heard a loud _crash!_ He jerked back violently. His eyes, which he had screwed shut, opened wide as realization dawned. He slowly turned his head and gazed in horror at the smashed Poltergust. The force of a Medieval club had jerked the ghost catching device off his back. He turned around fully, gazing in shock at the smashed ghost-catching machine. Its' remains smoked and sparked with a sickening hissing sound. Several ghosts wriggled out of the ruined device, including the gold ghost he had saved Daisy from last week.

The newly released ghosts cackled with glee and joined the other colorful ghosts. They clapped and cheered behind him, laughing as he knelt before the destroyed Poltergust and trembled with shock. They circled around him and jeered until a strange, muffled voice came from the adjoining room. "Would ye mind keepin' it down, already! I'm tryin' to sleep! I'll stuff ye into me jars if ye don't shut the bloody hell up!" The ghosts snickered, apparently not fazed by the voice from the other room. Nevertheless, they joined together and floated through the wall and out of the Armory, laughing and dancing as they went.

As their voices faded, Luigi tried desperately to process what just happened. Okay, so the Poltergust was destroyed. No big deal, right? It's not like he really needed it anymore. He sighed. But what about Daisy? How could he possibly defend her now? He was more than just pathetic now, he was useless. A useless, pathetic excuse for what used to be a human being. While he cowered and cried in the presence of ghosts that couldn't possibly harm him, he allowed his one line of defense to be obliterated. There was no way he could allow Daisy to visit him now. Of course, she would still want to. If he could just figure out how to cross over, then she wouldn't need to feel responsible for him anymore. But how could he possibly do that? No matter his intentions, Mario would never have set foot in this stupid mansion if it weren't for him. Mario's death was his fault, and if Luigi was meant to cross over, wouldn't he have found a way by now?

He trembled and turned away from the ruined Poltergust. Despite the darkness, he found he could see pretty well. Perhaps it was a ghost thing. He blinked as he remembered his purpose in coming here. "Mario…?" he called out tentatively, "Mario?"

Someone gave a loud, frustrated sigh. "There's no Mario here, and there hasn't been for several decades at least!"

Luigi froze. "Y-you mean… he _was_ here?" He looked around frantically. "W-who are you? _Where_ are you?"

Another frustrated sigh. "Cannae ye tell where me voice is coming from? I'm in the next room! This here's _my_ area! Go find yer own corner of the mansion to haunt! I know that telephone room is free. Kind of surprising since a fella died there and all…"

Luigi flinched. "Y-yes… I suppose that would be me…"

"Then what're ya doing here?! Go claim yer haunt! No one else has!"

"I-I…" Luigi sighed, "I really have no desire to see that room ever again."

A pause. "I suppose that makes sense. It isnae like ye have any good memories there. Now me, I jist died in me sleep, right here in this room, surrounded by me pride and joy."

Luigi made his way to the open door between them and peeked through. "You mean, your family?"

"Me family?" answered a jiggling jar, "Goodness no. Me jar collection! Me gorgeous jar collection!"

Luigi looked around the room, which housed an impressive antique jar collection and a shabby old bed in the corner.

"I spent me last three years in this house," the voice continued, "both these rooms were mine, but after I died, Mr. Portrait used me sitting room to display his collection of auld weapons and armor." The voice let out an irritated snarl. "I wouldn't mind so much if those blasted spirits weren't constantly banging around in there. But at least he didnae get rid of me jars. Mind ye, I would have made his life a living hell if he had. Would've ne'er stopped haunting him. Course, he died only a year after me anyway. Gas leak, I heard."

As the voice continued his speech, Luigi carefully crept toward the beautiful blue and white Asian jar that kept jiggling. He moved to lift the lid, but hesitated. Would that be rude? Should he knock? Would it be stupid to knock on a jar? "So, uh," he began timidly, "You haunt this jar?"

Suddenly, a strange ghost popped his head and thin neck out of the jar, reminding Luigi of a genie. The lid bobbed on the ghost's round, jar-shaped head like a porcelain hat. Luigi gasped and gawked at the strange purple-colored ghost. Was he even human? Of course, he must be, but he seemed to have lost his human shape. Even his round mouth and puckered lips resembled a bottle opening. It was almost as though spending an afterlife in jars and vases had warped him into this strange, rounded shape. _Actually,_ thought Luigi, _that's probably exactly what happened._

The strange ghost narrowed his glowing yellow eyes. "What are ye staring at, laddie?" he groused, his voice sounding much clearer now that he wasn't stuffed in a jar. "It's like ye ne'er seen a ghost before! Of course, I know that cannae be true! And to answer yer first question, Of course I dornt haunt this lovely jar! I haunt me rooms! I just prefer to spend all me time in me collection!" He said this as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Luigi blinked and stepped back. "Um, right. S-sorry. Look, my name is L-Luigi and I'm looking for my brother, Mario."

The ghost rolled his eyes. "Yes, yes. I've heard of ye. Though I cannae say I've seen him since he died."

Luigi's eyes widened. "So, you did see him! What happened to him? Please. Please tell me!"

The purple ghost sighed. "I dornt think you're gonnae like it, laddie." He hesitated. "I remember, I heard yelling and scuffling, and then a sickening _thud._ I was a bit grumpy fer being disturbed, and I peeked into the next room to see what was going on. It was then I saw three livin' fellas. Well, I suppose two living fellas. The third, that would be yer brother I guess, had just had his throat slit. One of the murderers happened to notice me then and hightailed it faster than ye can say 'jar collection'! By the way, whadda ya think o' me jar collection, then?" Luigi just glanced at him with watery eyes, his lower lip trembling. "Er, right. Sorry," continued the ghost, "Now's probably not the time." He paused awkwardly. "Anyway, the second murderer wiped off his bloody knife and chased after the first, yelling at his pal to man up. They ne'er returned. I watched yer brother for a few minutes. I saw his ghost emerge. Heh. Thought I would have a roommate. But then King Boo arrived."

Luigi blinked through his tears. "K-king Boo?" he said with a quivering voice, "You mean…?"

"Oh, aye. Round white ghost with sharp teeth and a crown. What his rightful name is, I dunno, but around here, we call him King Boo, or the Ghost King. Anyway, before yer brother could even blink, King Boo whisked him away."

"What?" gasped Luigi, "Y-you mean, King Boo took him all those years ago? What happened then?" His voice turned accusatory, "Why didn't you try to stop him?"

"What would ye have me do, laddie?" The jar collector cried defensively, "None of us can stand against that monster!" He suddenly stopped speaking as his eyes darted around the room, as if he were afraid King Boo could hear him. He lowered his voice. "None of us stands a chance against him. He's no ordinary ghost. I dornt even know if he's human. If he ever was, 'twas ages ago. He's a demon. The other round ghosts, and those accursed multi-colored ghosts who are constantly spawning, they're all loyal to him. So is that would-be artist. But the rest of us just try to stay out of his way. None of us dare stand up to him, except for maybe Grimmly."

Luigi thought for a moment. "The original owner?"

"Aye, him. He's the only one who doesn't seem to fear King Boo. I don't think Boo has the same power o'er him as he does the rest o' us here.

"W-why not?"

He shrugged. "Well, Grimmly was the original owner and he's very attached to this place. It was his haunt long before King Boo ever came along. O' course, Melody and Bankshot were also dead before King Boo came here, so maybe it has more to do with Grimmly laying the first claim. Anyway, it's not like Grimmly has any kind o' power over King Boo, but I don't think King Boo holds much power over him either. They jus' sort of tolerate each other."

"B-but why would King Boo take Mario?" Luigi cried despondently.

The jar ghost shook his head sadly. "I dunno, laddie. He draws power from the fear and despair of others. And the more ghosts he has under his control, the stronger he becomes. I mean, it's not like we're all unhappy here. I have a nice little afterlife, and I could never leave me jars. But I dornt think any of us can leave, even if we wanted to. He wouldn't allow it. So, we mostly just keep to ourselves and try to stay on his good side. Any ghost who tries to stand up to him, well…"

"What?" questioned Luigi fearfully.

"I dunno. He whisks them away somewhere. Mind, it only happened once that I know of. But that were enough. His name were Old Man Hopkins. In fact, he used to live in the room next to yours. Er, next to the Telephone room, that is. He was a retired clockmaker and toy maker. Bit of an eccentric fella. Mostly kept to himself, working on old clocks and automatons and what have ye. Decent enough chap, though. Anyway, he got fed up with King Boo lording himself over the rest o' us and gave him a piece o' his mind. That angered King Boo so much, he gathered up the rest o' us and forced us to watch as he brought three of Hopkin's automatons to life. The automatons chased Hopkins around for a bit before King Boo ordered them to drag him away. We ne'er saw him again.

Luigi trembled with terror. "S-so, if I want to find Mario, I'll have to face that ghost king."

The other ghost shook his head. "Laddie, that's suicide! Er, I mean, that's insane! I'm sorry, but there's nothing ye can do for yer brother now! You're jist gonna have to accept that."

Luigi shook his head as tears fell hard and fast. "No," he said desperately, "I have to do something. H-he's my brother! He's all I have!" His voice continuously grew louder and more frantic. I-I could never give up on him or leave him to suffer. H-he's been suffering all alone for forty-one years, and I haven't been able to do anything to help him!" He seemed to hyperventilate as panic and guilt took over.

The jar-ghost tried to reach Luigi through his panic attack. "Laddie! Calm down! You're gonna go into shock! Snap out of it!"

Luigi flinched at the ghost's loud tone. He swallowed, and while he still trembled and cried he seemed to gain a slight grip on himself. He turned to the purple ghost. "T-thank you for t-telling me what h-happened sir." He stammered in a wobbly voice.

Despite his grumpy demeanor, the purple ghost looked sincerely sympathetic. "Me name is Jarvis. And yer welcome. But mark me words, you'll be better off accepting that yer brother is lost forever. I'm sorry, laddie. Truly, I am." Luigi only hugged himself and looked away as his tears continued to fall. After a few moments, Jarvis shook his head sadly and retreated into his jar with a clinking sound.

After attempting to collect himself, Luigi dazedly stumbled back into the armory. He briefly glanced around and froze at a sight on the floor he hadn't noticed before in all the excitement: A dull, reddish-brown stain marring the surface of the wood. He numbly knelt next to the stain and brushed his hand across it, not wanting to dwell on what it was or how it got there. Looking up, he saw something red tucked away under a table in the corner. Judging by the coating of dust, the object, which he recognized as a hat, had been abandoned there for a long time. Luigi trembled as he approached the hauntingly familiar item. He reached out with trembling hands, picking up the hat and slowly brushing away the dust and cobwebs. He froze when he uncovered an embroidered 'M'. He knew this cap. It was Mario's.

Luigi's face crumpled as he brought the cap to his chest. How had it come to this? He used to suffer from nightmares fairly often, but he'd give anything to be in a nightmare now. At least then he would wake up to find Mario there with a protective hug and a comforting smile, followed quickly by a mug of hot chocolate. But this hellish nightmare was one he could never escape because it was all too real. This was his existence now. He curled up on the floor and sobbed, hugging the old hat and desperately crying out for his brother.


	7. Chapter 7

_Author's Note: This chapter is very dark. Definitely the darkest thing I've ever written. I feel bad because I promised some of you that this chapter would be more hopeful than the last, but... It's not. It's even worse than the last chapter. It was going to end on a happier note, but it was getting really long, so I decided to cut it short again. But I can absolutely promise you that next chapter will bring a break from all the horror and angst._

* * *

"My Liege, I hope I'm not interrupting."

"Ah, Booregard, come in. Do you have any news for me?"

"Yes, sir! You'll be pleased to know that the Poltergust has been destroyed once and for all."

"And Luigi?"

"Crying like a baby on the floor of the Armory."

The larger ghost grinned. "Good!"

Booregard grinned back, glad to find his master in a good mood. "Believe me, Sir, everyone will be overjoyed to hear that cursed contraption is no more. Although…"

"Yes? What is it Booregard?"

The smaller ghost hesitated. "Well, I can't help but wonder, why didn't you imprison the green plumber when he defied you?" He gestured to the small collection of portraits on the other side of the subterranean room. "You've trapped other ghosts for doing less." The ghost king eyed Booregard severely, causing the smaller ghost to falter. "That is…," Booregard quickly amended, "I don't mean to question your decisions, I'm just, curious…" he trailed off.

King Boo relaxed his expression. "I wanted to, Booregard, believe me, and I almost did." His expression turned fierce. "To think, he actually dared to suck me up with that…infernal house cleaning device!" His expression relaxed slightly. "But… no matter. Now that the Poltergust is destroyed, he can't trouble us anymore. Not that he was ever really a threat. Just a damned annoyance. He couldn't really do anything without a flashlight anyway. And even when he did manage to catch a ghost, only the weakest would remain trapped for long. Most of you could escape with a little struggling."

The Boo king smiled. "When those brothers trespassed on my haunt I chose to separate them. I like those plumbers where they are now, with Luigi roaming the mansion alone." He glanced at one of the portraits behind him, which contained the image of a deathly pale man with a bloodied throat. "Forever struggling in despair to rescue the brother he will never find. It's just too delightful!" His expression fell into a slight scowl. "Shame the girl got away, though."

Booregard perked up. "About that! It seems that girl has taken a liking to the green plumber. Boodacious says he's seen them together on the porch!"

King Boo grinned widely at this revelation. "Well, that is interesting! Perhaps I'll get her after all!"

Booregard's face fell slightly. "We should have gone after her for you, but she was careful to leave before dark, and well…you know how our powers diminish in daylight."

"No matter, Booregard. We'll find a way to lure her back in. Is there anything else?"

"No, my Liege, but we'll keep you posted on any new developments."

"Thank you, Booregard. That will be all."

As his minion left, King Boo floated over to the portrait he glanced at before, leering at the figure framed inside. Dull blue eyes locked with glowing red orbs briefly before casting themselves down again. The king of Boos pouted. "Still giving me the silent treatment, are we? Such a pity. You used to be so much more fun! I remember the days when you would bang on the glass, cursing me up and down with language that would make an Italian sailor blush! Ah, good times!"

The ghostly man in the picture made no response, remaining curled up against his portrait frame with a vacant expression. King Boo continued, "And then came the days when you screamed and shouted, pleading for someone, _anyone_ to help you! Of course, no one did."

The imprisoned figure remained still and silent. "Now you're just so…blaw!" King Boo shook his head and tsked. "Ah, well, I guess it's to be expected from a man who's been locked up in a portrait for four decades!" He grinned, "Maybe what you need is some company! That brother of yours has been causing me trouble lately."

Something flickered in the framed ghost's eyes. King Boo shrugged. "What do you think? Should I finally let him join you?"

The imprisoned spirit stirred. "N-no," he said hoarsely, "Please. Don't hurt him!"

King Boo cackled with amusement. "A little late for that, don't you think? After all, he's long dead, and by his own hand."

The ghost in the painting closed his eyes in misery. His voice cracked with lack of use but gained strength as he continued to speak. "L-leave him alone! Just let him go. Let him be at peace!"

King Boo cackled gleefully. "Let him be at peace? He will never be at peace! Remember, my dear red plumber, he's in this situation because you were foolish enough to venture in here alone. He came after you, alone and terrified. He was soon plagued by the demons who reside here and desperate to find you. When he couldn't, he hung himself in despair. Don't you remember? I showed you. You saw the evidence swinging right in front of you!" The man in red shuddered. "Fitting, isn't it? That he should suffer a coward's death. Now he's damned to wander my mansion forever!" continued King Boo cheerfully, "And even if he could find the other side, I don't think they'd welcome him. Suicide is a form of murder, after all. He's trapped here because of you and his own actions. I had nothing to do with it."

The plumber's eyes sparked with a long-absent fire. "No! It wasn't his fault, and you had everything to do with it," the red plumber growled. "I know he's trapped here because of you! Let him go!"

"Oh, wow! I'm so frightened!" the spectral king laughed. "And just what do you plan to do to me if I refuse? We've already established that there is no escape for you. No amount of pounding on your prison will change that. Face it, Mario. You are completely at my mercy, of which I unfortunately have none. Heh, and if I do decide to trap your brother in a painting one day, I'll be sure to keep him separate from you. I already made a promise that he would never see you again."

Mario glared at his captor. "Go to Hell," he snarled.

"Hmmmm," sneered the ghostly king, "as fun as that sounds, I think I'll pass. But look how lively you've become! I should threaten your brother more often! I miss our little chats!"

Mario only continued to glare. "Back to the silent treatment, again?" King Boo continued, "Ah well, at least you've got your fire back. For now, at least. Remember, eternity is a very long time to be cooped up in a picture frame. Now if you'll excuse me, I have more important things to do than keep you company all day. Bye, Mario!" He gave the imprisoned plumber one more sneer before turning and leaving him alone with nothing but his own torturous thoughts.

Mario collapsed back against his frame. Tears welled up in his eyes as he buried his face in his ghostly pale hands. "Oh, Luigi. _Fratellino,_ I'm so sorry!"

* * *

Luigi wasn't certain how long he lay curled up on the Armory floor, but as his sobs slowed into hiccups, he shakily rose, still clutching Mario's cap. He had to keep moving. Falling apart like this wasn't helping Mario. He struggled to process the events of the day, knowing he would be suffering a splitting headache if he still had a living body. But while he wasn't exactly in pain, he still felt mentally exhausted. He groggily made his way out of the armory, trying to figure out his next move, when he realized he had passed through an open door. The piercing noise of a telephone ringing jolted him to his senses. He had inadvertently entered the Telephone room.

His frightened eyes darted to the rafters, where the remnants of a rope were tied. The phone rang again, and Luigi shook uncontrollably as unbidden memories flooded him.

* * *

 _The way he was shaking, it was a miracle he had made it this far. He struggled to breathe. He couldn't allow himself to give in to the panic attacks, not when Mario was in trouble. He_ knew _Mario was in trouble. And he knew he was close to finding him, even as the pit of dread grew deeper and deeper in his stomach. Thunder cracked and boomed at an earsplitting frequency as the rain pelted the roof above. The hallway was dark save for the regular flashes of lightning and his own flashlight. Since the electricity went out, the already plentiful ghosts seemed to multiply exponentially. He clutched his flashlight like a lifeline and cursed his bad luck for the power outage. Although, if he thought about it, perhaps he should have been more troubled that the lights worked in the first place._

 _He suddenly jumped when he heard a muffled ringing sound to his left. A telephone? Who would be calling a dilapidated and abandoned mansion? He hesitated. The telephone continued to ring. He knew it was probably a bad idea to enter the room, but perhaps Mario had found a telephone and tried calling for help? It was a longshot, but any chance of finding Mario was a chance he had to take. He opened the door to his left and cautiously entered the room beyond, the ringing sound becoming much sharper as he stepped into the room._

" _M-M-Mar-r-rio-o-o?" he gasped, cursing himself for sounding so weak. He took a few steps further in before the creaking of the door behind him reached his ears. He froze, and his eyes grew impossibly wide as he heard the door click shut behind him._

" _Well, well, well. What do we have here?" a voice echoed. Luigi gasped and dropped his flashlight in fear, not daring to turn around, and trying desperately not to hyperventilate._

" _Well, aren't you rude?" the voice continued, "Won't you even turn around and say hello?" Through no choice of his own, Luigi felt himself slowly turn to face the room's other occupant. Frightened blue eyes met a pair of cruel, glowing red eyes. Before Luigi floated an enormous, glowing white round specter with sharp fangs and a jeweled crown. The ghost smirked. "That's better. Foolish boy, what brings you here? Lost, are we?"_

 _By some miracle, Luigi found his voice. "I-I-I'm l-looking for m-my brother! I-I just want to find him and go home! W-where is he?!"_

 _The ghost screwed up his face, pretending to think deeply. "A brother, you say? By chance, is this brother shorter than you? Wears red? Sports a cute little mustache?"_

 _Luigi perked up despite his fear. "Y-yes! W-where…?"_

" _Nope! Can't say that I've seen him!" The ghost interrupted cheerily._

 _Luigi blinked. "Um… O-okay. I-I'll j-just be going then." He slowly reached down to retrieve his flashlight. He'd learned that most of the ghosts didn't like having a light shone directly in their eyes. Perhaps he could stun this ghost and make his escape. Unfortunately, the massive specter was a step ahead of him. The ghost king sucked in a large quantity of air and blew it out, causing Luigi to fall backwards and the flashlight to roll away out of his reach. Red eyes flashed, and Luigi's body froze before he could stand back up. King Boo forced the terrified plumber to lift his head so that their eyes met._

" _On second thought," the ghost began as he circled around Luigi, "I actually may have seen that brother of yours, but after meeting you, I can't exactly let you leave." Though frozen and unable to even blink, Luigi managed to let out a small whimper. The glowing ghost reached out and made an upwards motion with his arm. Luigi felt his wallet slip out of his pocket and float over to the crowned apparition. The ghost took the wallet and glanced over the plumber's driver's license. "Luigi Antonio Martelli, eh?" the ghost tossed the wallet and license to the side and moved closer to Luigi. He touched Luigi's cheek with his icy arm. "Such delicious fear! Such scrumptious despair! I think I'll keep you. Boos!"_

 _Four round ghouls appeared from the walls, bowing to their king and grinning menacingly at Luigi. The ghost king grinned at his subjects. "You know what to do," he said, "Give my newest subject a proper welcome to his new home, or perhaps I should say, haunt. And please make it entertaining!"_

 _The boos nodded to their master and exchanged gleeful glances. They circled around Luigi and jeered at him. One of them sped away through the floor. After a short wait that felt like an eternity to the paralyzed Luigi, the fourth ghost returned through the door carrying a thick rope. All five ghosts laughed._

 _Luigi's heart pounded so fast and hard he was certain it would bust out of his chest. He had always been sensitive to the presence of ghosts, and he had seen his share. Some of those ghosts had seemed unaware of him. Others had ignored him or glanced his way before going about their business. Others wanted to talk with him, but his terror had always gotten the best of him as he fled. The worst of those ghosts would frighten and mock him. But until this night, Luigi had never encountered such hostile entities as the ghosts of this mansion. There was an evil here far greater than he had ever felt before, and it was floating directly in front of him, smiling menacingly and wearing a crown. Luigi felt hot tears escape down his cheeks. What did the ghost mean, 'new subject'? Luigi couldn't die here! Mario needed him!_

 _Luigi gasped as two of the icy beings grabbed his arms painfully and lifted him to his feet. A third ghost pushed him from behind. Although Luigi felt King Boo's paralysis leave him, it didn't matter much as the three smaller boos forced him forward. He shivered with cold and fear. They dragged him to the ghost holding the rope. "Now, now," the ghost sneered as he swung the rope casually, "no need to make this harder than it has to be."_

 _"More fun for us that way, though!" said the ghost behind him cheerily, prompting malicious giggles from the two clutching his arms._

 _Luigi struggled and shook his head frantically, trying with all he had to break free. "I think he needs a little more persuasion," sneered one of the ghosts pulling Luigi. He glanced at his comrades with a smirk and they nodded in understanding. The three boos let Luigi go so abruptly, he fell backwards onto the floor. But before he could do more than sit up, the three ghosts plunged inside of him._

 _Luigi shivered uncontrollably as the three ghosts entered his body. The ghost with the rope tied one end into a noose and floated towards him. The ghost offered Luigi the rope, and Luigi's arm reached out against his will and took the rope from the fourth specter. "No." Luigi wished he could scream, but all he could manage were weak mutters. "No no no no no…" He struggled with all his might and the smiles on the faces of King Boo and the fourth minion faltered slightly. As Luigi struggled to gain back control of his body, the fourth boo minion looked to King Boo and nodded with a determined expression. He turned back to Luigi and plunged into him, helping his comrades to regain control._

 _Luigi tried and failed to struggle against the four entities as they pulled him towards a chair in the corner. Luigi was forced to grab the chair and drag it to the middle of the room. The ghosts then lifted Luigi onto the chair and forced his hands to tie the end of the rope to the rafters above. Through no desire of his own, Luigi put the noose around his neck and tightened it, letting out a gasp and a choke. Before he knew it, the four boos left his body, knocking the chair out from under him as they left._

 _Luigi's eyes flew open amid tears of pain. He was finally given back control, but all he could do was struggle against the inevitable. His throat and lungs burned as he struggled in vain to breathe. He clawed at the rope and felt warm blood oozing out of the new self-inflicted scratches on his neck, desperately trying to let air into his struggling lungs. But Luigi had already taken his last breath. Spots danced in front of his bulging eyes. An unbearable ringing sound pierced his ears, joined by the ringing of telephones. He kicked the air and struggled, but the rope was tied securely to the rafters. Even worse than the pain was the all-encompassing panic that came with being denied the simple yet crucial act of breathing. After a few more moments of suffering, he felt his strength leave him completely as unconsciousness mercifully claimed him. His hands dropped limply to his side. The last thing he saw before the cold and darkness overtook him were the four ghosts dancing in a circle around him, and a smirking, cruel round face with glowing red eyes. "Die in despair, Luigi. You will never see your brother again."_

* * *

 _Get outta here! Run! Get out get out get out!_

An ear-splitting scream drowned out the ringing of telephones as Luigi turned and fled out the door and down the hall. He emerged onto the large balcony and collapsed to his knees. He clutched his ears, desperately trying to block out the blood-curdling screams, until he realized the tortured sounds came from himself. At this revelation, his screams turned to gasps and he opened his eyes, shocked and frightened and barely aware of his surroundings. He continued to gasp and stare blankly at the balcony floor as a sinister voice reached his ears.

"Luigi? Is that you?" the voice cackled.

A second voice answered the first. "'Course it's Luigi! Who else around here wears overalls and a mustache like that?"

"Well, yeah, I guess, but you have to admit it's a surprise to see him here. He hasn't wandered this far into the mansion in ages!"

"It has been a while since he hung around here!" a third voice snarked. "Forty-one years, to be exact. What's wrong, widdle Weegee? Where's your widdle vacuum cleaner now?"

"Enough chit-chat!" piped up a fourth voice. "I think we should give him a proper greeting! Don't you, boys?"

An affirmative chorus echoed in response. Luigi looked up in time to see fifteen boos meld together into a colossus apparition. Luigi let out a strangled cry and cowered on the cold stone floor, trembling violently.

* * *

 _Get outta here! I have to get outta here! What happened? Did I doze off? Mario. Where's Mario? I have to find him! We have to get outta here! Where's my flashlight? Did the batteries die? Get away from this room! RUN! Don't look up! Just get out! My brother's in trouble! I have to find Mario! I have to save him! He needs me! Where is he? MARIO!_


	8. Chapter 8

_A/N: Wow! Over fifty reviews! Thanks everyone! Sorry about the late update. Real life's been kicking me in the butt lately. :/_

 ** _October 11, 2018 Update: I've made some revisions to this chapter. Nothing major, but hopefully I've managed to improve it. Extra special thanks to Mariogeek for helping me and for giving me awesome advice for revising this chapter. :)_**

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Biff Atlas sighed. So much for stargazing. The balcony was his favorite place to unwind after a strenuous workout. That is, when the Boos weren't around. For some unlucky reason, this balcony was also a favorite hangout for the Boolossus gang, when they weren't terrorizing some poor soul. But tonight, it looked like an unfortunate soul had come to them. Biff squinted at Boolossus' victim cowering on the floor. It looked like the new ghost; the one completely lost in his own head. The ghost who was always calling out for some guy named Mario, and who occasionally tried sucking up the mansion's spirits with his strange vacuum cleaner. Well, perhaps the new ghost wasn't so new anymore. Biff often lost track of time.

Boolossus approached the green-clad ghost and started licking the unfortunate plumber with his gigantic tongue. The plumber trembled and began to sob. Biff scowled. The green guy wasn't exactly his friend, but the sight of the gigantic ghost picking on the small, terrified man disgusted him.

Biff observed the scene before him, taking note of the balcony's two unicorn statues. One of the winged sculptures stood close to where he sat on the balcony's stone railing. The other stood on the other side of the balcony, behind the floating Boolossus. Biff formulated a plan and began to quietly sneak around the balcony's perimeter, thankfully going unnoticed by the colossal specter. He managed to make his way to the statue and hid behind it. He observed the large, solid stone sculpture before him. This wasn't going to be easy, but he had to try. If anyone could make that thing budge, it was him. It was time to put his training to the test. He braced his arms against the statue and mentally prepared himself for the feat. "Try picking on somebody your own size, you overgrown marshmallow," Biff muttered to himself as he pushed the unicorn towards the massive round specter.

The unicorn statue slid into Boolossus, effectively popping the giant ghost with its sharp horn. Boolossus screamed in surprise and exploded back into fifteen separate and disoriented entities. Biff took advantage of the chaos to make his escape. He sunk through the balcony floor and quickly floated down the hallway below, passing unnoticed beneath the confused Boos. When he was close to where the green plumber sat, he quickly poked his head up through the ceiling and spied the frightened ghost still cowering on the balcony floor. He grabbed the green ghost by the waist and pulled him down to the second-floor hallway.

The green plumber gasped and frantically observed his new surroundings. He looked over his shoulder and saw Biff. As soon as blue eyes met green, the plumber jumped in fright and screamed. Before he could run away, Biff grabbed his arm.

"Shhh! I promise I won't hurt you, but you have to be quiet or those boos might hear us! Come with me." Before the plumber could protest, Biff pulled him down the hallway and through the second story floor, expertly landing in a recreation room well stocked with exercise equipment.

Biff set the trembling plumber on a cushy exercise mat, where the latter immediately curled up into a ball and quietly sobbed. Biff scratched the back of his neck and awkwardly watched the other ghost for a few moments. He hesitantly cleared his throat. "Uh, hey," Biff called out softly. Despite the gentleness of his tone, the ghost in green shot up off the floor and screamed, his head swiveling from side to side as he took in the Rec Room. The plumber's blue eyes settled on Biff and he gasped, backing away from the bodybuilder. Biff gave what he hoped was an encouraging smile. "Jumpy little guy, aren't you? Not surprising, with that weak little body of yours. You ought to train yourself up a bit! I bet you wouldn't be so afraid of everything then. Not that you could ever match my buffness!" Biff chuckled slightly, but his guest only blinked at him in response.

Biff tried for another encouraging smile. "Don't worry, I won't hurt you. Are you alright? Those Boos are such jerks. I can't stand bullies. But they're gone now. You're safe! Um, what was your name again?"

The green-clad ghost hesitated before opening his mouth to respond. "Um… L-Luig-gi. L-Luigi M-Martelli," he stuttered nervously. He eyed Biff tensely and his eyes darted quickly around the room before settling back on Biff, as though he would bolt at the slightest trigger.

Biff held out his hands in a placating gesture. "Easy now, I said I wouldn't hurt you, didn't I? He sat down on the mat opposite Luigi's. The green guy was clearly traumatized. Perhaps some small talk would help calm him down. "It's nice to meet you, Luigi. My name's Biff. So, uh, where're you from?"

Luigi continued to eye Biff warily as he sat back down on his mat. "B-Brooklyn…," he answered softly.

Biff raised his eyebrows in some surprise. "Brooklyn, eh? You sound a little different from other Brooklynites I've met. You an immigrant?"

Luigi seemed to calm down a little. He shook his head. "N-no. My father was from Italy. M-my mother's parents came from Italy, but she and her twin brother were born in Brooklyn. We always spoke Italian at home. I guess I never completely lost the accent," he said almost apologetically.

Biff smiled. "Hey, no worries! I don't mind! I was only curious. So, uh, was it just you and your parents growing up? You got any siblings?"

Wrong question. As soon as the mention of siblings left Biff's mouth, Luigi's face crumpled and he burst into tears, clutching at his hair miserably. Biff mentally kicked himself. Of course. The Mario that Luigi was constantly searching for must be the green plumber's brother. Biff watched helplessly as Luigi fell apart again. "Hey, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you…"

"M-Mario," the ghostly plumber suddenly spoke. "I-I had a brother named M-Mario. He was here because of me! I-I tried to find him, b-but I couldn't. H-he was murdered, and h-his spirit was taken away by King Boo! I-I never knew because I died, too. King Boo and his cronies k-killed me!"

Biff's eyes widened as Luigi dissolved into sobs again. He glanced at Luigi's bruised and wounded neck, a sure sign of an unpleasant death. Biff puzzled over what he should say in response to Luigi's harrowing story, but his thoughts were interrupted by a knock. He looked up and over his shoulder just in time to see a ghostly face poking through the closed door.

"Hey Biff, I know you wanted to have movie night soon, but I'm working on this amazing trick shot and I think I almost got it and… Wait, why is Greenie here?" The ghost turned his head to look at the sobbing plumber in confusion.

"Oh, uh, Boolossus was picking on him on the balcony, so I managed to distract the bully and brought Luigi here."

"Huh." The newcomer answered. He phased completely through the door, the movement followed immediately by a clatter just outside the room. The slim ghost rolled his eyes and sighed in frustration. "You'd think I'd remember by now," he muttered to himself as he opened the door and retrieved the pool stick lying on the floor on the other side. He closed the door and leaned the pool cue neatly against the wall, then turned to face Biff with his arms crossed. "Distracted him, huh? How'd you manage that?"

Biff stood up and floated over to the pool player. "I pushed one of those unicorn statues into him and popped him."

The lanky ghost raised his eyebrows. "Wow. That's pretty impressive. You gonna be okay? They haven't come after you?"

"We got away in the confusion. I don't think they noticed me."

"Well that's good. I'd hate to lose my movie buddy." He jabbed a thumb in Luigi's direction. "Why'd you bother with him anyway?"

Biff sighed tiredly. "Come on, Slim, I couldn't just leave him there. He's having a really hard time."

Slim rolled his eyes. "You mean he's a milquetoast."

"Well, yes, but still. It's more than just the Boolossus attack…"

Slim didn't wait for Biff to finish his sentence as he walked over to Luigi, crossing his arms again over his bloodstained chest. "Hey, Greenie, get a grip. You're embarrassing yourself."

Luigi jumped slightly and looked up at Slim in fear, tears flowing freely down his face. Slim continued, "I know those Boos are jerks, but they're gone now. You can stop wailing like a toddler."

Luigi shuddered and looked away, his eyes settling on a vase full of lilies as he wiped at his tears. Biff floated over and stood beside the pool shark. "Go easy on him, Slim, he was okay until I set him off." He looked at Luigi. "I didn't mean to upset you. You, uh, wanna talk about it some more?"

Luigi sniffed and glanced up at Biff miserably. "W-what happened on the balcony? D-did you pull me away from that monster?"

Biff puffed out his chest and grinned proudly. "Yup! That was me. I popped that jerk with the horn of a five-ton unicorn statue! That's the power of my daily training regimen! Thanks to my perfectly chiseled muscles, we managed to get away unnoticed."

Luigi swallowed and looked away as tears welled up in his eyes again. "T-thank you," he said meekly.

Biff smiled gently. "Hey! Don't sweat it!" He put a beefy arm around Slim's shoulders. "This here's my buddy, Slim. Don't worry. He acts mean, but he's really an old softie."

Slim glanced at Biff in annoyance and pushed weightlifter's arm away. He then turned back to Luigi with a scowl. "Yeah. We've met."

Luigi turned to Slim and blinked in surprise. "We… We have?"

"Yup. You tried to suck me up with a carpet sweeper!"

"Vacuum cleaner," whispered Biff.

"Whatever," countered Slim.

Luigi cast his eyes down. "I'm sorry," he said softly.

"Yeah!" Slim continued angrily, "I heard you went after Melody, but me? I didn't do noth-… Wait, what?"

Luigi hugged his knees to his chest, his eyes still downcast. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't realize…" He swallowed. "I was so desperate to s-save m-my b-brother. I-I thought all the ghosts were a threat. I never stopped to think that some of you might be good. I-I didn't even realize I was one of you." His shoulders shook as he rested his forehead on his knees. "I'm so sorry!"

Slim blinked in surprise, apparently not expecting an apology. He desperately looked to Biff for help, but only got an accusatory glare in return. Slim turned away from Biff and sullenly cast his eyes down to the floor. He fidgeted with the hem of his vest as he slowly approached the tearful ghost. "Uh, hey," he addressed Luigi in a slightly gentler tone, "It's alright. You don't have to cry about it. After all, I did manage to get away before you could capture me." Luigi continued to sob quietly. "And as for Melody, well, she probably deserved it."

"She attacked me," Luigi answered, his voice muffled, "She was kind at first but then she attacked me."

Slim nodded. "Yup. That sounds like her. And don't worry about those colorful ghosts. They... Well, I'm not really sure what they are, but I don't think they're even people. And they're minions of King Boo, so no one cares about them.

Luigi kept his face hidden, but his shaking began to subside. Slim examined Luigi with a curious frown. "Where is that machine, anyway? Did the Boos take it?"

Luigi shook his head miserably. "I-it was destroyed. By some multicolored ghosts on the t-third floor."

Slim's eyes widened. "Oh. Well, that's alright, isn't it? I mean, you don't really need it, do you?"

"And what were you doing up on the third floor, anyway?" Biff added. I don't think I've ever seen you up there before."

Luigi lifted his head to look at the other two ghosts. "I-I was trying to find out what happened to my brother." He swallowed before continuing. "I found out how he died. I s-saw his blood. I found-" Luigi gasped. "His hat! Where's his hat? I just had it!"

Biff scratched the back of his neck. "Yeah…. If you still had it on the balcony, then it's probably still there. Solid objects won't travel with us just because we can move through walls and floors. Don't be embarrassed, though. It's easy to forget when you're new. Heck, Slim still forgets that all the time, and he's been here longer than most."

"Hey!" Slim interjected.

Luigi stared at the ceiling with a frightened expression. "M-my brother's hat is still up there?"

"Hey, if it means that much to you, I'll go up there later when the boos are gone and get it for you," said Biff kindly, "You still seem pretty shaken up."

Luigi shuddered. "I-I saw the room where I died. I remembered… such horrible things," he said, his voice barely a whisper.

Slim and Biff exchanged glances. "You remembered your death clearly for the first time," Slim surmised.

Luigi screwed his eyes shut and nodded.

Slim grimaced as he sat down on the floor across from Luigi. "I'm sorry, kid. I know that can be rough." His expression became confused. "You said you found out what happened to your brother. Was he not up there?"

Luigi shook his head frantically. "No! Jarvis said that King Boo took him!" He quickly stood. "I gotta go! Now! have to find King Boo and rescue Mario!" He started towards the wall but Slim reached out his ghostly left hand and grabbed Luigi by the wrist.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold on there, buddy! That's crazy!" cried Biff.

"Yeah," Slim drawled as Luigi tried to pull away from his grasp, "if we knew a way to oust King Boo, don't you think we would have tried it by now?"

"I have to try!" Luigi answered weakly, "I-I don't have the Poltergust anymore, b-but maybe he'll take me instead?"

Slim rolled his eyes. "Oh, that's a brilliant idea," he said sarcastically. "Could you really be any more stupid? Even if that does work - and it won't! - do you really think that would make your brother happy?"

Luigi blinked back tears. "B-better me than him! I can't leave him to suffer any longer!"

Slim pinched the bridge of his nose with his right hand and sighed. "Better for who? Imagine how he'd feel if you switched places with him. He'd be just as miserable as you are now!"

Luigi stopped struggling and plopped down on the floor in defeat. "But I have to do something! I-it's my fault we're in this mess in the first place!"

Slim shook his head. "Look, I don't know the details of how you got here, but blaming yourself won't help you. Besides, King Boo's the one who's really to blame." Slim sighed heavily. "I don't know if there's a way to defeat King Boo, but I do know that rushing in without any plan or any idea of what you're dealing with is just plain idiotic!"

Luigi stared down at the floor. "What am I going to do?" he muttered hopelessly. "I-I'm so pathetic. I can't save my brother, I can't protect Daisy, I-" Luigi stopped suddenly and shot up off the floor and out of Slim's grasp. "W-what day is it?" he cried.

Biff stared at Luigi bemusedly. "W-what day?" he inquired.

Slim shrugged. "Eh, who keeps track of days anymore?"

"I-I promised Daisy I'd meet her! If I'm not there, she'll come looking for me! She might get herself killed!"

Slim slowly stood up and lifted his hands in a pacifying gesture. "Okay, okay. Just calm down. First of all, who's Daisy? Oh, wait. She's that pretty living girl who was here before, isn't she?"

Biff blinked at Luigi in confusion. "Living girl? You're friends with a live person? When…um, how did you become friends with a live person?"

"I… She was exploring the mansion not long ago and I helped her escape from King Boo." Luigi sighed tiredly. "Now she thinks she has to help me in return. I've tried to tell her she doesn't owe me a thing but, I dunno, I guess she feels obligated. I don't know why else she would keep coming back."

Slim elbowed Biff playfully. "You should see her, Biff! She's a looker!"

Luigi briefly scowled at Slim. "I've got to go meet her," he said firmly. He wobbled as he made his way to the door, only to stumble and collapse halfway there. He shakily stood up with embarrassment and awkwardly dusted himself off before feeling a meaty hand on his shoulder. "Look pal," said Biff gently, "You've been through a lot lately. You should stay here and rest."

Luigi shook his head. "I-I can't rest. Not now!"

Slim placed a hand on Luigi's other shoulder. "Luigi, you look like hell," he said firmly. "You haven't slept in decades, have you?"

"I…" Luigi began confusedly, "Slept…?"

Slim smiled and shrugged. "I know we don't have living bodies anymore. And it's not like we'll die if we don't sleep, but still. A nice nap now and then can be good for the soul. I guess you could say that even a ghost's consciousness needs a break sometimes."

Luigi rubbed his eyes tiredly. "I guess that shouldn't surprise me. Madame Clairvoya sleeps, after all. A lot."

Biff chuckled. "Yeah. She takes it to the extreme. She just loves to sleep. Even when she was alive." He guided Luigi back to the exercise mat. "Rest here as long as you want. I'll make sure no one bothers you."

"And I'll go to the porch and keep watch in case Daisy comes back while you sleep," added Slim.

Luigi struggled with himself for a moment before exhaustion took over and he plopped down on the mat. "You promise you'll come get me the moment she comes back?" he asked Slim in a deadly serious tone.

"Of course," promised Slim.

Luigi's eyes drooped, and he curled up on the mat. Luigi wondered if falling asleep would feel the same now as it did when he was alive. Before he could think long on it, he drifted off.

Slim and Biff observed the sleeping plumber for a moment before the pool shark turned to the bodybuilder. "So, what exactly happened to him up there? Did he tell you?"

Biff sighed. "Only bits and pieces, but it sounded bad. I guess his brother was murdered and Luigi was killed by King Boo himself."

Slim's eyes widened and he turned away, rubbing his arm awkwardly.

"I never knew he had it so rough," Biff said softly. "He was always so lost in his own little world. I… I should have tried to reach him. I should have tried to help him much sooner."

Slim sighed. "Don't feel too bad. He was locked up tight in his own mind until recently. I did try to speak to him once, but that's when he tried to suck me up with that carpet cleaner. Still, I shouldn't have held a grudge for so long. I didn't realize either how much he's been suffering. We're all to blame. No one tried to help him. Everyone saw him as an amusing fool and occasional nuisance. I did too, but now… Well, no point in dwelling on the past. We're helping him now, at least."

Biff smirked. "You seemed awfully eager to help when he mentioned that Daisy girl."

Slim smirked back and shrugged. "Hey, just because I'm dead, doesn't mean I can't admire a pretty girl."

Biff smiled and shook his head. "Just be nice, okay. I don't think Luigi would take it too well if you upset her."

Slim looked offended. "Hey! Get off my back! I'm always a gentleman!" Biff only chuckled as Slim shot him a scowl and turned towards the door, grabbing his cue stick as he made his way out of the Rec Room and down the hall towards the foyer.

* * *

Daisy tightened her scarf against the Autumn chill as she strolled cheerfully up the walkway, happy at the thought of seeing her ghostly friend again. However, on the porch sat not Luigi, but a tall skinny ghost, snoozing against the mansion's wall. She approached the specter with some concern, wondering what it meant and what she should do. Should she wake him up, or should she just sit on the steps and wait for Luigi? Her decision was made for her as she stepped on the decaying porch, the creaking wood causing the thin ghost to stir.

The ghost's face twitched, and his brows furrowed. He blearily opened his eyes, glancing around the porch until he caught sight of Daisy. He grinned up at her before stretching and letting out a wide yawn. "Good afternoon, Miss! Did I doze off on you? Sorry about that. You haven't been waiting long, have you?"

"Uh, no, but… What are you doing here? And where's Luigi?" Daisy inquired.

"Ah, yes! Don't worry, he's alright. Poor guy's had it rough lately. My pal Biff and I convinced him to take a nap. I said I'd come and wait for you." Slim chuckled and rubbed the back of his head. "Guess I needed a nap too."

Daisy furrowed her brows with some suspicion. "A rough time? Since when did you care? You weren't too sympathetic the last time I talked to you."

Slim ducked his head slightly in embarrassment. "Well, I still think he's big crybaby, but Biff found him on the third floor. A bunch of boos were picking on him and-"

"The third floor?" Daisy interrupted, "He went up there? By himself?"

"Yeah, he said something about wanting to find his brother, and I guess what he found was more than he could take."

Daisy's eyes widened, and her lip quivered. "W-what did he find?"

"Well, he found his brother's hat. And he saw where his brother was murdered. And he saw where he himself was killed. He didn't tell us everything, but he was pretty hysterical. It took us a while to calm him down." He paused at the upset look on Daisy's face. "Uh, Miss Daisy? You okay?"

"That idiot!" she whispered harshly. "I told him I'd go with him! I could have helped him!"

Slim gave her a sympathetic smile. "He probably just didn't want to put you in danger. He worries about you, ya know?"

If Daisy heard Slim, she didn't acknowledge it. "He faced all that alone?" she muttered in surprise and shock, "He went through all that pain by himself?" Her expression hardened, and her voice raised in volume. "I'll kill him!"

Slim blinked. "Yeah. Good luck with that," he deadpanned.

Daisy ignored him again and marched to the front door. She yanked it open and entered the foyer.

"Uh, Miss Daisy? Wait! Where are you going?"

Daisy spun around to face Slim. "Where is he?" she demanded.

"Uh, in Biff's Rec Room."

"Great! Thanks." She turned and walked a few steps before spinning around to face Slim again. "Where's the Rec Room?"

Slim sighed. "Look, I really don't think you should be walking around this mansion."

Daisy rolled her eyes and let out a frustrated growl. "Will all of you stop treating me like I'm made of glass! Just tell me where Luigi is!"

Slim blinked. "Uh, alright. At least let me escort you, though. You got a flashlight?"

"Of course," answered Daisy as she pulled her flashlight out of her pea coat's deep pocket.

"Good. We should be okay since it's still light outside, but keep that flashlight on just in case. It will keep the nastier ghosts away."

Daisy nodded and let Slim take the lead. She followed him around a few corners and hallways until they came to a door. The door led to a smaller hallway with a staircase straight ahead and a lone doorway to the right. He opened the door for her and motioned that she should enter. The first thing she saw upon entering the Rec Room was a blonde, muscular ghost with a large hooked nose and a square jaw. The bodybuilder was struggling to lift a massive barbell. At the creak of the opening door, the ghost glanced up at her and gasped, dropping the barbell with an enormous clang that cracked the tile below and caused a certain green-clad ghost to stir in his sleep. "Uh… Hello," the large ghost greeted nervously, "You must be Daisy, right?"

Daisy nodded curtly before rushing over to where Luigi lay tossing around in his sleep on the exercise mat. Biff floated over to the doorway where Slim stood. "Why'd you bring her here, Slim?" he asked in a voice barely above a whisper, "This isn't exactly a safe place for a mortal! Couldn't you have made her wait on the porch?"

Slim held up his hands defensively. "I tried, but she insisted!"

Biff sighed, and the two ghosts made their way over to where Daisy knelt on the floor beside Luigi. The spectral plumber tossed and turned as he whimpered in his sleep. "Luigi?" Daisy called with concern and reached out to him. As soon as her fingers brushed over his shoulder, the plumber shot up into a sitting position, letting out a scream as he clutched at his neck.

"No! Stop! Let me go!" he cried, eyes wide as he took in his surroundings. He relaxed slightly when he saw Biff and Slim in front of him but continued to pant heavily. He noticed a flash of orange out of the corner of his eye and turned to see Daisy kneeling next to him. "D-Daisy?" he gasped in confusion, "What are you doing here? It's not safe!"

"You moron!" she exclaimed, "I told you I'd go with you! Why did you have to go face that alone?"

Luigi blinked at her as he tried to calm down and collect his thoughts. "I-I couldn't let you do that. This is my problem. You're so kind, Daisy. Kinder than I deserve. But you need to stop feeling responsible for me! You have no obligation to help-"

"Obligation?" Daisy interjected sharply, "This isn't about paying you back! I mean, yes, I do owe you my life and I want to repay that debt, but the real reason I'm helping you is because you're my friend and I care about you!"

Silence permeated the Rec Room as Daisy glared and Luigi stared back in shock. Daisy's lip quivered, and she looked away as hot tears began to well up in her deep blue eyes.

At her display of emotion, Luigi managed to find his voice. "Daisy?" he pleaded in a slightly panicked tone, "Daisy, please don't cry."

Daisy hastily wiped her tears away and glanced at the other two ghosts in the room, who were watching the unfolding drama with rapt attention. "Look, could you guys just… leave us alone for a minute?"

Biff started. "Huh? ...Oh. Uh, sure. Hey, Slim, didn't you have some trick shot you wanted to show me?" The weightlifter turned to leave, but when the pool shark made no sign of budging, Biff grabbed him by the arm and began dragging him away.

"Hey!" Slim protested, "You can't just drag me! Didn't your mother teach you to respect your elders?"

"You're not much older than me," countered Biff.

"In looks, maybe, but remember that I was haunting this place when you were in diapers!" Slim continued his protests as the pair floated through the Rec Room door and down the hall.

Daisy turned back to Luigi. "Why did you do that, Luigi? I never meant for you to face those memories alone. I wanted to be there with you, helping you to get through it. Do you not trust me?"

Luigi turned away miserably and wiped at his eyes. "I-I told you. I didn't want you risking your life for me. B-besides, I've always relied on others to save my pathetic neck. I just wanted to be brave and solve my own problems for once."

Daisy shook her head and sighed. "Luigi… That's admirable and all, but it's still okay to let other people help you. I don't want to see you facing this alone, not when I'm here to help you! I care about you too much!"

Luigi looked back at her with shining, tormented eyes. "W-why?" He shook his head. "How could you care about someone like me?"

Daisy managed a smile. "That's easy. You're kind, and funny, and caring, and very brave."

Luigi scoffed. "Brave?"

"You saved me from that King ghost, didn't you? A-and going alone to face your fears on the third floor was very brave, even if it was also stupid and misguided."

"B-but Daisy… I can't protect you anymore. M-my Poltergust got smashed and I have no other way to fight against King Boo and his minions!"

Daisy's eyes widened in surprise at this revelation, but she quickly recovered. "It's okay, Luigi. We'll think of something. I'm not going to abandon you over a minor setback! In the meantime, I'll just have to be extra careful-"

"It's not a minor setback!" Luigi interrupted with some frustration. He groaned. "This is serious, Daisy! Your life is at stake!"

"I... I know." She answered quietly. "But I can't just give up! I-" Her eyes lit up with a sudden epiphany. "Luigi... What if found you a new Poltergust?"

"W-what?"

"Yes! That's it! I'll just look up E. Gadd and order a new one!" she said with a bright smile.

Luigi only shook his head in response. "Daisy, I don't think it's that simple. First of all, _Professore_ Gadd was already old when I met him, and that was years ago! And he said that the Poltergust was one of a kind. There's no other machine like it in the world!"

Daisy looked back at him unwaveringly. "It's worth a try. I'll look up E. Gadd and see what I can find. Even if he's passed away, maybe his research or whatever is still there."

Luigi stared at her. "You're serious, aren't you? You really meant what you said, about caring for me."

Daisy smiled and nodded. "I'm afraid you're stuck with me, buddy, so you can stop trying to get rid of me!"

Luigi smiled shyly. "It's not that I wanted to get rid of you." He looked down at the exercise mat as a blush crept up his face. "I-I really care about you, too. I just… I thought it would be selfish to wish for your friendship. And I didn't want you putting your life in danger."

Daisy grinned. "Hey! What are friends for?" He gave her a small smile back and the two sat together for a moment in companionable silence. After a minute, Daisy looked to Luigi with a sober expression. "Um, you don't have to if you don't want to, but… Do you want to talk about what happened on the third floor?"

Luigi shuddered. "I…" He closed his eyes and curled in on himself. "I-I'll be alright. Please don't worry about me."

Daisy gave him a sad, compassionate smile. "Of course I'll worry about you! You're my friend! Look, I won't force you, but, it might help if you talk about it. I'll listen."

Luigi looked at her hesitantly and swallowed. "I-I saw the room where I died. And I remembered. I was looking for Mario, but King Boo found me first. H-he ordered his servants to kill me." Luigi began to cry. "T-they w-went inside of me and t-took control of my body. They m-made me h-hang m-myself."

Daisy's eyes widened in shock. She opened her mouth to speak, but found she had no words. She could only watch helplessly as the tortured soul wept.

After a while, Luigi tried to regain control of his voice. "B-but even worse is what happened to my b-brother. H-he was murdered, Daisy. I guess I already knew that, but," he swallowed, "It didn't truly hit me until I saw his blood and his hat on the floor. I-I met another ghost up there, too. He told me King Boo took Mario's spirit away. I don't know exactly what happened to Mario after that, but he's been King Boo's prisoner for forty-one years! He's suffered alone for forty-one years and I couldn't save him! What if I still can't? what if I fail him again? What if it's too late? What if King Boo is too much for me?" Luigi made a choking sound and his tears fell harder. "W-what am I going to do?" He brought his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them, resting his chin on his knees as he quietly sobbed.

Lost for words, Daisy acted on instinct, reaching out and pulling Luigi into a hug. She thought her arms would pass right through him, but she was surprised to find that she could hold on to him if she didn't put too much pressure into her embrace. He felt oddly semi-solid and extremely cold, but she did her best to suppress her shivers as she began to rub his back. Luigi let out a small surprised gasp, but soon melted into her embrace, too miserable and torn apart to resist. He threw his arms around her and buried his face into her shoulder, weeping as though his heart would break, letting out all the pain and agony of the past few days.

"Shhh, i-it's okay. I've got you," Daisy said softly, "everything will be alright. It's okay." As soon as the words left her mouth, Daisy mentally kicked herself. Of course it wasn't okay. How could she guarantee that anything would ever be okay again? She was always terrible with words and completely clueless when someone was in distress. So, she fell back on whatever soothing words she could think of. Daisy sighed inwardly. She was always better at speaking through action. But maybe that was okay. Maybe Luigi didn't need words right now. She held the broken man in silence, and in that moment, it didn't matter that he was the ghost of a man born almost seven decades ago. She let her friend cling to her as her own tears began to fall.

* * *

 _A/N: Slim and Biff sometimes get together to watch old silent films in the Projection Room. It's canon! ;)_

 _Yay! Daisy's back! :D I missed her! I have no idea when the next update will be. It might not be for a while, so I apologize in advance._


	9. Chapter 9

_A/N: Finally, I posted something! Sorry for the long wait, and thank you all for your support and patience. Feedback is always appreciated! :)_

* * *

It had been so long since Luigi felt such warmth. Of course, as a ghost, he didn't feel much of anything physically, save for a vague, empty coldness. Now, for the first time in over four decades, he felt warmth from another human being. He wanted to soak in this warmth, hold it inside of him, and treasure it. But the warm glow failed to penetrate his icy being. He could feel its surface, but it remained elusive, like a firefly just out of reach. Frustrated, he clutched Daisy even tighter and buried his face deeper into her neck, trying in vain to retain the warm feeling. When his efforts proved fruitless, he relaxed his hold in defeat, still letting out an occasional sob.

A shudder from Daisy jolted him back to his senses, and he quickly withdrew and backed away, mortified by his behavior. "D-Daisy? Oh my gosh, are you okay? I-I'm so sorry! I shouldn't have… I-I didn't mean-"

"It's alright! I'm okay!" She assured him cheerfully, not wanting the poor spirit to feel worse than he already did. She hugged herself and rubbed her arms, attempting to stave off the bone-chilling cold.

He clasped his hands as he regarded her anxiously. "A-am I really that cold?"

She continued rubbing her upper arms. "Not really," she lied.

Luigi looked doubtful.

Daisy smiled sadly. "Hey, it's not just you," she assured him. "You're the only ghost I've actually touched, but I think all ghosts feel cold. I feel colder every time I stand close to one of you guys, and whenever one glides past me, I feel an icy draft. Plus, this whole mansion feels colder than it should, probably because there are so many of you in here."

Luigi ducked his head and glanced away, uncomfortable at being grouped in with the other ghosts, although he knew he was being silly. Of course Daisy would categorize him as a ghost. He _was_ a ghost now. He was dead.

Daisy's smile faltered as she noted Luigi's sad expression. "Luigi…? Was it something I said?"

He started. "No!" he said quickly as she pulled him from his thoughts. His eyebrows furrowed in concern when she shivered again. "Daisy, I really am sorry. I don't want you catching a cold…"

Daisy laughed a little. "You know being cold doesn't actually give you a cold, right? It's a virus. Besides, I'm already starting to feel warmer."

 _Yeah, now that you're not clinging to her like a bambino,_ Luigi inwardly berated himself.

Daisy placed her hands in her lap as she studied her ghostly friend with concern. "H-how about you? Are you feeling any better?"

Luigi wiped at his tears and nodded tiredly. "I-I'm sorry I fell apart on you like that."

"Luigi…" she answered, "You have nothing to feel sorry for. After everything you've been through…" She sighed sadly. "I'm here for you, okay? And it's okay for you to cry. If you ever need a shoulder to cry on, I'm happy to oblige."

Luigi sniffled and glanced away, jumping when he perceived the encroaching twilight through a window. "Oh no," he gasped, "Daisy! You need to get out of here!"

Daisy's eyes widened as she realized the lateness of the hour. She stood and nodded, but then gave Luigi one more concerned look. "Are you sure you'll be okay?"

"Don't worry about me! Here, I'll walk you as far as I can."

The pair made their way out of the mansion as quickly as they could, thankfully escaping any trouble. Halfway down the path, Daisy turned to Luigi and offered a small smile. "Well, I guess this is goodnight." She saluted playfully. "I'll find out all I can about E. Gadd and the Poltergust, and report back to you on Saturday." Luigi opened his mouth to speak, but Daisy continued before he could get a word out. "Don't worry. I'll be sure to come during the day. Do you think you can meet me on the porch?"

Luigi nodded. "It's hard to keep track of time around here, but I'll do my best." He looked like he wanted to say more, but instead looked away and started fidgeting, a blush creeping up his face.

"Luigi?" Daisy inquired, "What is it?"

He turned to her hesitantly. His arms began to reach for her, but he then stopped himself, instead letting them fall to his sides as he looked at her with tears in his eyes. "Thank you," he said in a voice choked with emotion. "T-thank you so much. For everything."

Daisy smiled and felt her face heat up as her own eyes brimmed with tears. She moved closer to him and drew him into a brief hug. "My pleasure," she said warmly.

Luigi managed a watery smile. "Y-you'd better go, before you get into trouble."

Daisy smiled and waved as she turned and continued down the path towards her car. "I'll see you this weekend."

* * *

Luigi reentered the mansion and sighed wearily as he leaned against the door. "There you are!" said a familiar voice. Luigi jumped slightly in surprise and looked up to see Slim and Biff floating towards him. Slim smirked. "So, how was your date? Did you get her home by sundown?"

"D-date?" Luigi squeaked with wide eyes as his face turned a dark shade of blue. "It wasn't… W-we didn't…"

Biff rolled his eyes and lightly nudged Slim with an elbow. "Don't mind him, Luigi, he's just being funny. Or trying to be, at least. Did Daisy make it out okay?"

Luigi nodded. "Yeah."

"Good, good." Biff smiled kindly. "Here, I think you dropped this."

He presented Luigi with a familiar red cap. Luigi gasped and grabbed Mario's hat, hugging it close to his metaphorical heart. "You managed to get it back! Thank you," he said with grateful tears.

Biff grinned. "No sweat! So, uh, what are you going to do now?"

Luigi sighed and ran his left hand through his hair, his right hand still clutching Mario's cap. "I-I don't know," he said uncertainly, "Daisy thinks she can get me a new Poltergust, but I-I don't know if it's possible. Either way, I guess I'll have to come up with a plan to challenge King Boo." He closed his eyes miserably. "Mama Mia, I hafta face King Boo! How am I gonna do that? Mario needs me, but I-I don't know if I have the strength to defeat King Boo." He did his best to steady his voice. "I will try," he said firmly, I have to, but…"

"No, no," Biff interrupted his impromptu monologue, and Luigi now noticed that the other ghosts were staring at him with wide-eyed, bewildered expressions. Biff continued, "I didn't mean…" he closed his eyes and sighed. "I meant, what are you doing now? As in, right this minute? Would you like to watch a few movies with Slim and me?"

"Yeah…" Slim added, his expression still bemused, "I'm not sure declaring war on King Boo is your best idea… Movie night sounds like a much better plan."

"At least, for tonight," Biff continued encouragingly. "I think you could still use a break." He waved his hand around. "You know, take your mind off things for a while?"

Luigi looked back at Biff and Slim with surprise, though he did feel touched at the older ghosts' gesture of friendship. "I… I guess it wouldn't hurt…" He rubbed the back of his head. "I mean, I won't know for certain how to proceed until Daisy gets back to me. But only for a little while, okay? I need to start making plans."

The older ghosts glanced at each other nervously. "Yeah, yeah. Sure," Biff said quietly, eyeing Luigi with concern and sadness, as though Luigi were a condemned man. "Let's just… wait on the whole King Boo thing for a while, okay?"

"And you should probably stop talking about it so willy-nilly," Slim added. "You wouldn't want anyone unfriendly to overhear your plans for rebellion." The tall ghost glanced around the foyer with some trepidation. He sighed and continued in a voice just above a whisper. "Look kid, you shouldn't get your hopes up. No one's ever managed to successfully challenge King Boo… It might not be possible. Just… prepare yourself for that, okay?"

Luigi fixed Slim with a determined glare. "I'm not giving up on my brother. Even if I hafta take his place, I'll find some way to save him from King Boo."

Slim massaged his temples. "Kid, you really don't know what you're up against. Look, let's just take it slow for now. You don't even know if you'll have another ghost-catching machine yet."

Luigi looked like he wanted to argue further, but Biff grabbed his arm and gently pulled him towards the door out of the foyer. "C'mon Luigi, it's this way to the Projection Room."

The ghosts moved out of the foyer and into the hallway beyond, Biff still pulling Luigi along. "Projection Room?" Luigi inquired.

"Yeah, we've got a movie projector!" Biff explained cheerfully. He then blushed slightly. "Actually, it belongs to Miss Lydia, but she doesn't mind us using it."

"Lydia's my little cousin," Slim explained further. "Well, she's not so little anymore. She was born when I was eighteen, but she died in her thirties, so she looks a little older. He shrugged and grinned at Luigi. "The one consolation of dying young: I get to look twenty-nine forever. Anyway, Lydia spent some time as movie actress before she got married. She gained a lot of friends and admirers, and she collected a few films during her time in Hollywood.

"It's strange. When I was growing up, movies were little more than a novelty. You know, something you'd see at fairs or sideshows. No one expected them to become a serious art form. Filmmaking didn't really take off 'til after I died. Lucky for me, Lydia brought her projector and films with her to the mansion, so at least I can enjoy a few films now."

The trio made their way down the hallway. After taking a few turns, Slim gestured to a door on their left. He gave a small bow. "Welcome to my humble abode." He grinned. "It's not much, but it's home."

Luigi stepped inside and immediately recognized the room beyond. He blushed slightly in embarrassment as he remembered the last time he had been in here; back when he had attacked Slim. Inside the room to his right sat a handsome, albeit dusty pool table which was lined on top with smooth, deep green felt. The walls were paneled in the same handsome green color and held a dart board on one end and a somewhat familiar portrait on the other end. To the side of the pool table on the checkered floor sat two elegant chairs upholstered in worn out green velvet. Between the chairs sat a small wooden table with a beautifully carved ivory chess set on top.

Luigi glanced at the portrait on the wall. "Nice picture. It's you, isn't it?"

Slim glanced away uncomfortably and begin fidgeting with the fine ruby ring on his finger. "No, that's my brother. This way," he said, eager to change the subject.

He led them through a door to their left. The large room beyond housed an old movie projector facing a large screen. A shelf on the wall opposite the door held about ten movie reels in addition to the four movie reels placed haphazardly on the table holding the projector. "Here we are!" said Slim cheerfully. He turned his head to Luigi. "Any preferences? We got some Buster Keaton here, a few Chaplins, and I know we've got a Lloyd around here somewhere," he said as moved to search the shelf.

Biff grabbed a reel from the table. "How about 'The Kid'?" He grinned at Luigi, "Chaplin's masterpiece."

Slim shook his head as he continued to search the shelf. "No, no. We just watched that. Hey, Biff, have you seen 'The Navigator'?"

Biff sighed. "It's right here on the table. We watched that one recently, too, remember?"

"Eh, I guess you're right, but that one's my favorite, and Luigi wasn't here when we watched it." He turned to glance at Biff, who looked unenthusiastic. "All right, all right. How about 'Our Hospitality'?"

Biff shook his head. "Do we have to watch Buster Keaton again? I mean, he's alright, but what do you have against Charlie Chaplin?"

Slim scratched his head. "Nothing really. He's okay. I mean, he's talented and all, I just get tired of him. And he gets a little too sappy for me sometimes."

Biff raised his eyebrows. "Too sappy? Are you kidding me? What, do you have a heart of stone?"

Slim rolled his eyes. "Well obviously, I don't have a heart at all. I'm kinda dead."

Biff sighed in exasperation as Slim grinned slightly. "You know what I mean!" said Biff, "Anyway, at least Chaplin could act. Keaton never even changes his expression!"

"It's called deadpan humor, and it's hilarious," Slim countered. He looked to the plumber. "What do you think, Luigi? Keaton or Chaplin?"

Luigi started a little. "Eh… I don't know. They're both pretty good, I guess. Maybe a little old fashioned…"

Slim looked slightly miffed. "Old fashioned?! Okay, no need to rub your youth in our faces. I'll bet you're used to talkies all filmed in color!"

"Well, uh, pretty much…"

"Too bad! The only talkie we have is 'The Jazz Singer,' and we still have to watch it without sound because the speakers busted about 50 years ago!"

"Actually, I think they've been dead for about 60 years," Biff amended.

"Whatever," Slim continued, "Anyway, we've got no sound, not even piano accompaniment. We do have a few color films. You know, the kind that were hand-tinted."

"Well, we could possibly get some piano accompaniment," Biff ventured, but Slim only snorted.

"Yeah right, you think we could get her to play for us? You know she and I don't exactly get along."

"I wasn't talking about Melody. You play, don't you?"

Slim sighed. "A little, but I'm not that good, and I haven't played in decades. Besides, Melody would never let us borrow her piano. How would we even get it in here to begin with?"

"I could lift a piano, no sweat!" said Biff in a slightly offended tone.

"Well, it doesn't matter because like I said, she'd never let us borrow it."

"We could kinda sorta sneak into the music room and borrow it without asking…"

Slim let out a bark of humorless laughter. "Sounds like fun, but believe me, she'd make us regret it. Nope, buddy we're stuck with purely silent films. So, what should we watch? Doesn't have to be Chaplin or Keaton. Doesn't even have to be a comedy. We've got plenty of dramas."

Biff glanced at Luigi a bit worriedly. "Nah, I think we could use a good lighthearted comedy tonight. Maybe Lloyd? Do you like Harold Lloyd, Luigi?"

Luigi blinked. "I-I don't think I've ever heard of Harold Lloyd."

Biff's eyebrows raised in mild surprise. "What? You've never heard of Harold Lloyd? He's the guy with glasses? Likes to hang off of giant clocks?"

Luigi thought for a moment. "Well, the clock thing does sound familiar."

"What kind of movies do you like, Luigi?" Biff asked.

"Well, the last movie I remember seeing is Star Wars."

"Star Wars?" The older pair chorused in confusion.

"Yeah, it was great!" Luigi beamed. "Great special effects, too! My bro and I went to see it four times! That's not nearly as much as our neighbor Tony, though. He went so much, the theater started letting him in for free! Anyway, it's about this kid who wants to be a Jedi knight. And he has to team up with an old guy who becomes his mentor and then they meet a space smuggler at this bar full of weird alien creatures! And there's also this tall gold robot who keeps complaining and a cute little robot who only talks in beeps. And they hafta save a princess from an evil villain with a scary black mask named Darth Vader. And it takes place in space in a faraway galaxy! And-" Luigi suddenly stopped and glanced back at his companions, who both wore wide-eyed, bemused expressions. "Eh, I don't explain it very well," Luigi ended lamely as he plopped down in a nearby chair.

"W-well, if you like science fiction," Biff said after a few beats of awkward silence, "We do have 'A Trip to the Moon' by George Méliès."

Luigi looked up. "I think I did see that one, actually. Long ago. At least parts of it. Is that the really, really old movie with the rocket that crashes into the moon's eye?"

"Yeah. It's really, really old," Slim drawled sarcastically.

Biff chuckled. "Well, it is pretty old, Slim. 1904, right? Isn't that the year you died?"

"Don't remind me," Slim remarked flatly.

"I always thought it was a bit creepy, actually," Luigi mused.

"Funny to hear a ghost say that," Slim quipped. "I vote Lloyd. That should keep everyone somewhat happy."

Luigi had to admit that the Harold Lloyd film was pretty good, despite being a silent film from the 1920s. And it did help him feel somewhat better to enjoy a movie with friends. Biff excused himself after the movie, saying he needed to return to his workout. Slim returned to his billiard room next door but told Luigi he could crash in the projection room, since Luigi didn't really have a room of his own.

Luigi sat by the empty, lit projector, idly making shadow puppets as he let his mind wander. He glanced sadly at the red hat perched on the projector's table, where his elbow was also propped. If only that hat could talk, maybe it could give him some clues to where Mario was now. Luigi's eyes widened and he sat up straighter. If the hat could talk… He clapped his hand to his forehead and cursed. "I'm such an _idiota,"_ he muttered to himself as he raced out of the projection room. Before Slim could do more than give a bewildered look, Luigi was speeding down the hallway to the fortune-teller's room.

* * *

Luigi burst unceremoniously through the psychic's door yelling, "Madame Clairvoya! Please wake up!" He turned quickly to Madame Clairvoya's table and was surprised to see her gazing back at him in bemusement.

"My dear boy, please calm yourself! There is no need to shout! I'm perfectly awake! Why wouldn't I be?"

Luigi panted slightly as he remembered himself. "Eh… S-sorry. I just, uh…" He shook his head slightly to clear it and thrust Mario's hat toward the fortune teller. "Never mind. Um… Madame Clairvoya, didn't you tell me once that you could tell a person's fortune by examining their personal items? Y-you told me you may be able to help me find Mario if I brought you something that belonged to him, b-but I didn't have anything on me…"

Madame Clairvoya blinked and carefully took the hat from Luigi's shaking hands. "This is your brother's hat?" She looked up at Luigi and smiled a little sadly. "I remember, you used to have one very similar, didn't you? Only it was green?"

The plumber nodded. Madame Clairvoya examined the red cap and seemed to concentrate deeply. "Very well, kind Luigi. I will see what I can do."

She placed the hat on the table next to her crystal ball. She dusted off the crystal ball with a corner of the tablecloth, then she slowly glided her hands over the orb.

She closed her eyes and began to chant. "Oooh… Harummm… Crystal Orb, symbol of my clan, use your darkling power to show us all you could! Er, I mean CAN! Show us all you can!" Luigi leaned over the table and peered intently into the glass ball. It shone and something swirled within it, but he couldn't detect much else. Clairvoya gently shooed him away. "Stand back a bit, my boy, I need some space." She let out a hacking cough and resumed her chanting. "Harummm… Come spirits, show me what has become of Mario Martelli's ghost." Her voiced lowered to a mutter. "Come on, stupid orb, work with me here!"

After a few tense moments, Madame Clairvoya's eyes widened. "Ah! I…I see him!" She cried out with some surprise, "It… it worked! W-well, naturally it worked, it always does," she laughed a little nervously. "Anyway…I see your dear Mario! At least, I-I see a painting of him. Wait… did he just move? He… He is trapped in a painting…!? Y-yes, I see, noble spirits, he is imprisoned in a painting, hanging over a strange altar. And… that dark presence. I sense dark forces at work! Ah!" She suddenly sat up and leaned back dramatically. "Ah… the orb falls silent. The spirits speak no more."

Luigi was shaking. "W-what? No! That can't be it! Madame Clairvoya, please. You must sense more…"

Madame Clairvoya slouched in her chair tiredly and massaged her right temple. "I am sorry, dear Luigi, but I can see no more. The spirits have shared all that they could. Perhaps if you brought me another item…"

Luigi shook his head miserably. "I don't have anything else! O-okay. Let's just focus on what you _did_ see." He glanced at her with a little confusion. "You say my brother was trapped in a _painting?_ " The clairvoyant nodded. Trapped in a painting? How was that even possible? Then again, perhaps he shouldn't be asking such a question after all the strange things he had seen. Luigi shuddered. His poor brother. He couldn't imagine what that would be like. "And there was an altar… Where in this mansion is there an altar?"

Clairvoya merely shrugged her shoulders as her eyelids drooped.

"No, no, no! Please don't go back to sleep!" the plumber pleaded. "Please, Madame Clairvoya. I need you to focus for just a little longer!"

Her eyes slowly opened and rose to meet Luigi's. "Alas, my boy, I was merely a boarder here, I am not acquainted with the mansion's every nook and cranny. I have no recollection of an altar like that anywhere." She glanced to the side as she thought. "The crystal showed a room with stone walls and stone pillars, but that's all I could see."

Luigi slouched a little. "A-are you sure it was even in the mansion?"

She glanced back at him. "I cannot be certain, but I believe so. That horrible presence. It felt like that demon."

"King Boo…?" Luigi asked quietly.

The fortune teller nodded. "If your brother was trapped by that monster, it's likely he's still in the mansion, or at least in the vicinity." She coughed a little. "Demons like that feed off despair and death; it increases their power. King Boo rarely leaves the mansion, and he would most likely keep his prisoners somewhere in the mansion where his strength is the greatest."

Luigi sighed. "Well, at least we can narrow it down to somewhere in the mansion."

"We may be able to narrow it down further still," Madame Clairvoya mused, "I may not recognize the altar, but perhaps there is someone in the mansion who can. Wait." She quickly turned to Luigi with wide eyes. "Luigi… You don't mean to say that you plan to challenge King Boo?!"

Luigi nodded. "I know King Boo has Mario. It wasn't just your vision. I met a ghost named Jarvis who saw King Boo taking my brother away."

Madame Clairvoya's eyes saddened. "My dear boy, challenging King Boo… Let's just say that's not advisable."

"I don't care!" cried Luigi with some frustration, "He has my brother! I have no choice!"

Clairvoya continued to gaze at him sadly. "I would try to persuade you otherwise, but it seems your mind is made up. You are certainly not the only one who would like to see that demon go. I... I've been thinking about it, actually. I know I told you that you may be preventing yourself from crossing over, and I stand by that. I sensed your turmoil and I wanted you to make peace with yourself. But this place has always possessed a dark aura. At least for as long as I've been a ghost here. And no one that I know of has crossed over. I brushed that off for a long time, thinking everyone had their reasons for staying, but lately… I've been thinking it may have more to do with King Boo's darkness. Perhaps he is somehow blocking the way to the other side. It would make sense. The more ghosts he has influence over, the stronger he becomes. So, he does have something to gain from keeping us all here.

"If that's true, haven't you ever wondered why you couldn't cross over? Have you ever tried?" Luigi queried.

The fortune teller sighed and looked down. "I never saw the light. I thought that meant I was supposed to stay here." She gave a wry chuckle. "I thought that maybe I had a purpose here, that maybe someone here needed my help or guidance. But perhaps I've been fooling myself all along."

"I wouldn't say that," Luigi said softly with an encouraging smile. The fortune teller's eyes rose up to meet his. She smiled warmly back.

"You truly are a good soul, Luigi. If nothing else good comes of all this, know that I am at least grateful I met you." She sat up straighter. If we want to find your brother, we're going to need a little help. For starters, perhaps someone can give us a lead to the exact location of that altar."

Luigi shuddered as he considered the implications of her statement. "Y-you mean, we hafta go around asking each ghost what they know?"

The medium chuckled. "Oh, there's no need to go through all that legwork. I can bring them here!"

"W-what?"

Clairvoya closed her eyes and began to chant in a low, raspy voice as she raised her hands. "Hear me! All those who would oppose King Boo! ( _Hack! Hack!)_ Come to me! Tell us now, the next thing we did! Um, I mean should do! Tell us the next thing we should do!"

A chill wind coursed through the room and Luigi suddenly heard a multitude of surprised and confused voices. He gulped and slowly turned around, only to gasp in shock at what he saw. He jumped back, only to wind up in the middle of Madame Clairvoya's table. Everywhere he looked, he saw both familiar and unfamiliar faces. The fortune teller's room was suddenly crowded with ghosts.


End file.
